


Star Trek Dribbles and Drabs

by starsinger



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-01
Updated: 2017-01-14
Packaged: 2017-12-28 04:31:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 59
Words: 31,968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/987665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starsinger/pseuds/starsinger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>These are a series of short stories involving various members in the rebooted universe. I’m inviting people to participate by giving me ideas for continuing this story. My rules will be at the bottom of this short.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“Engineering to the Bridge,” Scotty called, he sounded like he was exhausted. Kirk wasn’t surprised. Today seemed to be the day for Murphy’s Law to kick in. It wasn’t the big things that were happening, it was little things. The warp core and environmental systems were fine. Random computer all over the ship seemed to short out. Two of the replicators in the enlisted mess, the lights in the greenhouse, one of the communication’s boards in the bowels of the ship, and a whole bunch of other systems, while not terribly essential, were annoying.

“Bridge, here, what is it Mr. Scott?” Kirk answered.

“Captain, I hate to ask ye this, but all of my engineers are currently working on other systems and now McCoy has called sayin’ he’s havin’ trouble wi’ the beds. Can ye go down and hae a look?”

Kirk looked up at Spock who nodded, “I’ll be down to get a kit in a minute, Scotty. Spock, you have the bridge.”

Kirk knew the urgency in Sickbay. Last thing they needed was everything to crash down here during a battle. Kirk grabbed the last toolkit from Scotty and headed for Sickbay. Sure enough, as he entered the room, things were going haywire. Fortunately, there were no patients in Sickbay, but McCoy was being extremely conversant in swear words. They all looked up as Jim entered Sickbay and looked rather confused.

It took a moment after Kirk removed his gold shirt for them to realize just why he was down there. He started by removing the panel on the first bed, and everything looked fine. He went from bed to bed and finally hit a wall panel, looking at it thoughtfully. He pulled it off and sure enough things started sparking. He covered it back up before heading to a breaker panel and cutting off the power to that panel.

One of the nurses commented, “I didn’t know the Captain was an engineer.”

McCoy shook his head, “He has Doctorate in Engineering from the University of Moscow, but Scotty wouldn’t have called him unless he was stretched thin.”

They watched as Kirk went in, replaced and stripped wires, and pretty much rewired the entire panel before turning the power back on. Sure enough, all the biobeds sprang back to life. Kirk even lay down on one to ensure that it was working properly. It was. Kirk replaced the panel before turning to McCoy. “Anything else?” he asked.

“No, thank you, Jim,” McCoy replied.

Jim grabbed his kit and his gold shirt and headed off to another request from the Engineer. McCoy knew that it was going to be a long day for anyone who had an engineering background. He could tell that from the way that Dr. Carol Marcus also strode by with a toolkit in her hands.


	2. Military Ball

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is for worriesareforsquares. Who wanted some heartwarming Uhura and Kirk friendship stories. Jim is out of the hospital, and, while not confined to a wheelchair, finds himself in it for a special occasion, Starfleet Academy’s annual Military Ball. Spock is unable to attend, family matters on New Vulcan, so he asks Kirk to escort Uhura. Don’t own any of them.

Kirk sighed, he knew he was stuck in the chair for the night. It didn’t make it any easier, but his legs had stopped cooperating an hour ago, right after he’d gotten his pants on. At least they had waited until after his shower. He closed up his dress jacket and put his hat on his lap. This was going to be a long night. He had promised Uhura a dance, since he was her escort for the night, and it looked like it wasn’t going to happen. He was actually a decent dancer, not a ballroom type, but he knew his way around a dance floor.

Jim went outside and made his way to Uhura and Spock’s quarters. It was unofficial, but Starfleet was looking the other way, as would Kirk when room assignments were made back on the Enterprise. He suddenly envied Spock the easy relationship, for the most part, that they enjoyed. Uhura did have a temper. He wheeled up to their door and knocked. Uhura opened the door and looked down at Jim, her mouth formed a silent “O”.

“I’m sorry, Uhura, but my legs won’t cooperate, no matter how hard I try to convince them otherwise,” Kirk apologized. She was beautiful and a floor length strapless black straight gown. A pair of white gloves complemented them. Her dark hair was braided into a crown with flowers scattered through it. “You look fantastic, Uhura. Spock should be sorry he missed this.”

Uhura smiled at Jim as she reached inside for her clutch and shut the door. Together, they went to the auditorium where the dance was being held. Excited cadets poured in from all directions, “Remember our first ball?” Uhura asked.

“Yeah, got really drunk that night, quietly, oddly enough. I just wasn’t in a mood to celebrate the end of the year.” Uhura nodded, until McCoy started taking Jim home with him, he had nowhere to go during the breaks and spent long and lonely weeks on the campus. Uhura had spent it pining after Spock. Gailla had thought it was funny. She smiled, missing her old friend.

They slipped into the auditorium and found themselves in line for pictures. Jim smiled as the photographer watched, nonplussed, as he wheeled up to the screen. There was a chair, and Uhura sat demurely in it. Jim placed his hand on her shoulder as they posed for the obligatory photos. Soon, they were off again and found themselves at a table where Uhura slipped her heels off her feet with a groan. “I hate heels,” she said. “This dress is long enough to hide that I’m not wearing them.” Kirk laughed.

They looked around and found everyone laughing and having a good time. “Who do you think will be crowned Military Queen?” she asked. Jim shrugged his shoulders. The cadets chose their own as King and Queen. It wouldn’t involve them, they were chaperones. 

Archer deposited himself in a seat next to Jim, “Well, what do you think? Your first ball as chaperones.”

Kirk laughed, “Really, John, are you sure I’m a good example as a chaperone?”

“Well, if you’re not, then who is?” Archer asked with a laugh. Kirk shrugged as the Admiral went back to the dance. He took Uhura with him, which Kirk appreciated. Jim wandered up to the food table and began to gather edibles. A waiter was kind enough to accompany him back with his drink. McCoy would be proud, he was actually eating without being prodded. Uhura grinned when Archer delivered her back to their table. Jim was an extremely slow eater, and he was unapologetic about it. Uhura nibbled on her own dainties as she surveyed the crowd. Sulu, Chekov and McCoy were all present. Scotty was on the Enterprise, as usual, and Spock was on New Vulcan. She sighed wishing Spock was here, but Kirk was a gentleman, and one of the neatest eaters she had ever met.

“Alright everyone, the time has come, for the crowning of your King and Queen!” the emcee announced. Kirk leaned back to enjoy the show. He wasn’t drinking alcohol, still too much medicine to be taken for that not to be a problem, but he did enjoy the ambience. The emcee broke the envelope, “Oh, my, everyone, for the first time since I can remember, they are not cadets! Lieutenant Nyota Uhura and Captain James Kirk!”

Jim nearly choked on the sandwich he was nibbling on. This was not the way he was planning his evening to go. He barely managed to set his sandwich down before Sulu grabbed his chair and pushed him up to the stage. He heard the applause and cheers, and vaguely remembered waving, but this was not the plan. Uhura smiled demurely as she was crowned, and Kirk felt himself wearing something that seemed way too big for his head. Then they were there, expected to dance together. He felt someone behind his chair as the music began and Uhura joined her hands with his. Somehow, with McCoy’s help, they actually danced together, and that’s all Uhura wanted was one dance.

Soon, they left the ball laughing, “Spock is never going to believe this!” Uhura exclaimed.

“Lieutenant, Nyota, thank you,” Kirk said.

Uhura leaned down and kissed his cheek, “No, Jim, thank you, I had a wonderful time.” With that he escorted her to her quarters and went home to his bed.


	3. Teaching Tactics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jim tries to teach tactics and the way he thinks, Admiral Archer gives him a test. He wants to see this process for himself. Only, it doesn’t go as expected. Don’t own any of it. Shout out to AlbusSPotter for this prompt.

Fleet Captain James T Kirk stood in front of the class, eyes roaming. “Tactics as a general rule are something one gains from study and experience,” he explained. “Once you have that knowledge, you may be able to start to put things together and see how the puzzle fits,” he went on to explain several scenarios and how they might be approached.

“What about a new one,” a voice called out from the back of the class. Everyone rose to attention as Admiral Archer approached. “We have a ship that went missing, or rogue if you will, last week. I know what happened, Jim, let’s see if you can figure it out.”

The ship was the USS Tereshkova, a small attack ship that patrolled the border between Federation and Klingon space. Jim looked at the scenario but something else nagged at the back of his mind. He flipped back to another page, ignoring the new scenario entirely. It was a scene similar to one he had seen in pictures five years ago while recovering from Khan’s attack. “Why is he just watching bombs going off around him?” he muttered. Archer’s eyebrows creased as he realized that Kirk wasn’t focusing on the task at hand. He walked over. “This man, he’s the same one in both pictures. Both times he’s watching as events fold around him, the USS Vengeance crashing into San Francisco, and a more recent attack in the city of Tel Aviv.”

“That attack was just written off as one by the terrorist organization the Hezbollah, Jim,” Archer told him.

Jim gave him a strange look, “The Hezbollah as a terrorist organization hasn’t been around since the Eugenics Wars two hundred years ago. I’m going to go out on a limb and say he isn’t even human. If he’s just standing there, he knows where the bombs are going and where they’re going to hit.” He pulled up a map of recent attacks around Earth and found a fairly consistent pattern, as random as they seemed.

“Why are terrorist organizations suddenly popping up when they haven’t been active in two hundred years?” He suddenly pinpointed something that no one else had seen, his brain working so fast not even Archer could keep up. “Call New York, put them on red alert, they’re the next target!” Archer looked at him, dumbfounded. “Tomorrow is the anniversary of the September 11 attacks. What day would be better to make a statement about aliens than when a devastating blow was delivered to the United States over 250 years ago. Better put Washington DC on alert too.” Archer pulled out his communicator and started issuing commands. He pulled out the PADD and forwarded the picture to all personnel to keep an eye out for the man.

The next day dawned clear and beautiful, as it had in 2001. Shuttleports and other air facilities were put on high alert, but quietly, they wanted to catch these people. Starfleet personnel in civilian attire boarded flights in and around the world. Then word started trickling in, terrorists were being quietly apprehended trying to take control of shuttles. None succeeded in their plots, but one shuttle did crash, killing everyone on board.

Archer found Kirk that day standing outside looking at the sky, “You saved thousands of lives today, Jim, and the world will never know it.”

Jim smiled, that crooked wry smile he was well known for, “As it should be, John, as it should be.”


	4. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Archer and Barnett discuss what just happened.

Archer and Barnett sat at a nearby café, quietly sipping their coffee. Calls were still coming in about the attacks, but they had were getting fewer and fewer. Some were demanding to know how Starfleet had found out about this. They were just told intelligence, trouble was, Section 31 could only wish they could do this. Archer wasn’t letting them have Kirk.

“You finally witnessed the ‘Lightning storm in space’ moment?” Barnett finally spoke. He was frankly envious, this happened so rarely that you had to be there to understand it, or not understand it. Spock and Pike had witnessed both previous occasions, and Spock couldn’t even begin to explain it. McCoy tried, he said Kirk’s brain worked so fast that even he couldn’t keep up.

“It was like he picked up one end of a thread and started gathering up all the loose ends that no one else could see. I've ’ever seen anything like it.”

“You know Section 31 is going to do all they can to recruit him. Making him a Fleet Captain is making him an even bigger target.”

“I know, Mary made that decision. I don’t blame her, he needs the authority that rank will give him, he doesn’t want the power. I wish I had a thousand more like him.”

“You heard he turned down the Admiralty too, huh?” Barnett asked. “Wise move. He’s talking to and Ethics class tomorrow. No, not about Tarsus IV, about Khan. Why he felt he should have been given a trial. He still does think that, even after dying because of the bastard. When I think that Marcus was so willing to throw him and his crew away just for the sake of his ego…” Barnett set the coffee cup down before he crushed it. “How many lives would we have lost today if Jim had stayed dead?”

Archer thought, “Thousands, Richard, thousands.”


	5. Hoshi Sato

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a VERY traumatic and dramatic chapter of “Transitions” on the fanfiction.net website, by beamIrang I felt compelled to write this. I recommend “Transitions” btw, it’s really good. Just expect the author to be ruthless and you’ll be alright. Don’t own them.

After the trial, Archer took Jim to a nearby restaurant. It was clear the old man wanted to talk, McCoy’s orders to go get some red meat in the boy, steak if possible, and make sure he eats a desert, gave him an opening. So, Archer ordered New York steak, a loaded baked potato, and a piece of cherry pie with ice cream, and then ordered a salad for himself. Jim glared at him, “MY doctor isn’t trying to get me to gain weight, Jim,” Archer said with a chuckle.

“You do realized we’ll be here a while?” Jim asked.

“Yeah, I’ve heard about your notorious eating habits. I don’t mind,” Archer looked at him, “Tell me, please,” he pleaded. Jim knew he wasn’t talking about Hoshi’s death, he wanted to know about her life on Tarsus IV.

Jim smiled sadly as an ice cold glass of Iced Tea was set in front of him. Damn, McCoy was really getting to him. “I met Hoshi-san on my third day at my aunt and uncle’s. She was just as charming, affectionate, and welcoming as they were.”

“So, you must be Beatrice’s no good nephew, Jimmy,” a voice interrupted his thoughts as he crossed the gravel road. Jim looked up to find the oldest woman he had ever met standing in front of a farmhouse. She was tiny, Asian, Japanese by the looks of her, her hair was almost completely white with a few black strands in it. She wore blue jeans, a t-shirt and had her hands on her hips as she gauged the youngster standing in front of her. Jim hadn’t yet reached six feet, but he was already showing promise as to his height. “I heard how you drove your father’s car off a cliff in Iowa. How’d you find a cliff in Iowa?”

“It was a rock quarry,” Jim mumbled. He looked at the ground.

Hoshi walked right up to him and forced his head up to meet her in the eyes. “Come, have tea with me, and never be afraid to look me in the eyes.” He followed her into her house. The door opened into a recess in the floor. Jim automatically removed his shoes before following Hoshi. She looked at him with a smile, she didn’t even have to ask. He knelt at the tiny table in the living room. The house was decorated in a black and white motif, as silkscreen separated the kitchen from the rest of the house. She walked back to the table with a teapot and poured them both a cup. Jim sipped his tea as Hoshi fed him biscuits. He wolfed them down with the normal appetite of a teenager as she grinned, “So, tell me about yourself.”

“I didn’t need to tell her about my parents, she knew both Winona and George,” Jim said, pausing long enough to finish chewing a bite of his steak. Looking at Jim now, it was hard to believe he wolfed anything down. As the months went on, I spent days at her home. Aunt Bea always knew where to find me, and I was keeping up my grades at school, so she never minded. She figured Hoshi was a good influence on me. Then, the crops started to fail.”

Hoshi was in her greenhouse, tending to her plants. They were the only ones that weren’t affected by the fungus, but the hermetically sealed environment had to do with that. Unfortunately, she couldn’t feed everyone. She made sure the kids were fed first, they were always the priority. She and Jimmy still had tea once a week, but even that was getting low. Nothing was preparing them for what was coming. She even warned Jimmy about going to the square that night, he didn’t listen, and she didn’t go. He lived, she died.

“It’s pretty ironic that I lived. Hoshi was kind, warm-hearted, and a grandmother to me,” he stared down at his plate, everything was done except the pie as it arrived at his table. “They’ve erected a memorial to the dead on Tarsus IV, Matt told me that they’ve removed ‘JT’ as I’m not dead.”

“Jim, you have no idea how much know what happened to her helps, I’m sorry you had to go through that again,” Archer patted the other man’s hand.

“I’m sorry there was nothing more that I could do to save her. In the end, I don’t think I could have kept her hidden too,” he said mournfully.

“She wouldn’t have wanted you too, Jim, your kids were more important to her than an old lady at the end of her life.”

“She had a picture on one of her walls, I’m pretty sure it was all of you on the Enterprise. You and T’Pol were in it.” He fished in his pocket and pulled out a simple silver ring, the top of it was the Yin/Yang symbol of balance in all things. “I managed to sneak this out of her house before Kodos’ goons arrived and burned it down.” Archer’s breath blew out explosively as he remembered it being the only piece of jewelry Hoshi ever wore. Jim gave it to Archer, “Here, take it, return it to me whenever.”

“Thank you, Jim, you have no idea how much this means to an old man,” Archer’s eyes glistened, but no tears came forth. The two finished their dinners in companionable silence.


	6. Who Kirk Really is

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AlbusSPotter again, this is the Academy hurt fic, I refuse to do allergic reaction, mostly because I think it’s been done enough. Let’s try something else. Oh, it can be well done, and I’ve really enjoyed some fics with his being allergic to everything, but McCoy hadn’t known Kirk had been allergic to ANYTHING until ST 2009, or he wouldn’t have injected him with that vaccine, just saying. I was tempted to name this, “Let’s try to kill Kirk again before Khan has a chance” but the title’s too long. During their second year, Uhura discovers something about Kirk that she never expected.

Uhura and a bunch of cadets celebrated finishing mid-terms like most did, they went off to a bar and had a drinks. Uhura managed to drag Jim along, just for the fun of it. He was actually a good dancer. Jim sighed as he looked around the bar, Uhura realized his heart really wasn’t in it tonight.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Uhura asked.

“McCoy is working tonight at the Fleet hospital, and it’s Joanna’s third birthday, he’s kinda bummed. And when he’s kinda bummed, I get an earful. Being his roommate isn’t the easiest thing in the universe sometimes. I know, I know, I can be a pain in the ass too, don’t need to drag that one out of me.” Kirk grinned at her, a glass of bourbon cupped in his hand on the bar in front of him.

“Who’s Joanna?” Uhura frowned.

Jim reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his wallet, he showed her a picture of a cute little girl with grey eyes. “She’s beautiful! She’s not yours?”

“No, she’s McCoy’s. She was born right before Jocelyn, Bones’ ex-wife, divorced him,” Kirk sighed. “It was the main reason he joined Starfleet.” Uhura nodded, he hadn’t been the most cooperative person on the shuttle ride to San Francisco. “Hey, Cupcake!” the man turned around, “I’m headed back to the Academy. I’m just not in the mood.” The other man nodded before turning his attention back to a young woman who seemed to be enjoying his attentions. It was standard operating procedures, the cadets let each other know when they were leaving someplace like this, in case they never made it back to the Academy. Kirk paid the bartender and headed out.

Jim was considering going over to the hospital to keep Bones company when he heard the scream from the alleyway. “I said NO! Leave me alone! Somebody help me please!” a woman’s voice pleaded.   
Kirk stopped as he heard a man’s voice answer, “You know you want this. Dressed like that, you’re just begging for it. Kirk didn’t think about it twice, he ran for the alleyway. There, a man had an attractive girl, no more than sixteen, pinned up against a wall. His hand was up under her skirt and half her blouse was ripped away. 

“Hey, the lady said no,” Kirk said slowly, insolently. The man turned around, the girl took advantage of it to flee toward Kirk dodging the man’s friends as the lunged toward her. Kirk never took his eyes off the men as he handed her his jacket to cover herself up with. “Go into the bar and tell a woman named Uhura what’s going on here, she’ll do the rest.”

The girl fled toward the nearby bar, Jim’s jacket wrapped around her. She burst in trying to find this woman named Uhura. When Uhura finally arrived she told her that she’d been attacked and that a man came to her rescue, and he was still back in that alleyway with those thugs. Cupcake and his friends ogled the girl as Uhura opened the jacket to reveal cuts, bruises, abrasions, and the torn blouse. No more words were needed as they bolted for the door. Uhura called for reinforcements as she too ran for the door, the bartender right behind her. They reached the alleyway in time to find Cupcake and friends finishing up the fight, but Jim lay on the ground. A large blood stain was forming on his back.

“Uhura to medical! We need a team down to the alleyway by Cayman’s bar Stat! We have a cadet down!” she turned and instructed the girl to wait at the entrance for the arrival of Starfleet Security. Cupcake came over, breathing heavily.

“When we entered the alley one of them had him around the neck. I saw what I thought was a blade and Kirk went down. We waded in at that point, no one takes advantage of a girl on our watch.”  
Uhura understood that, “May I have one of your shirts?” she asked politely. One of them ripped off the shirt of one of the offenders and handed it to her. She lifted up Jim’s shirt and found a bloody mess. She pressed the shirt against the wound, hoping to stem the tide of the blood before it was too late.

“Here! We’re here!” she heard the girl’s voice calling someone before more people joined them. Uhura gave security a quick summation of what happened before they hauled the attackers away. 

“Hey, we didn’t do nothin’ wrong. Just having a bit of fun before HE showed up!” Uhura wanted to hit the man. 

An EMT quickly assessed Kirk’s condition as another talked to the girl. Her name was Lisa, and she was going home from a party when she was attacked. No she wasn’t raped but would submit to an examination. Uhura followed the paramedics as they loaded Jim into the ambulance. “He’s lost a lot of blood, I don’t know how he’ll do, we’re getting him back to the hospital, ASAP.”

It was McCoy who took the call of the wounded cadet coming in, and McCoy who saw Kirk lying on his stomach on the stretcher. “Dammit Jim, what’d you do this time?” McCoy muttered as he looked at the wound. His lips stretched thin. “Let’s prep him for surgery,” he announced as they moved from the ER into the rest of the hospital.

Uhura sat in the waiting room, Christopher Pike, and, surprisingly enough, Lisa Hayes, the girl Kirk rescued from the alleyway. Her father was Admiral Hayes, and he was coming over to pick her up later. She was somewhat a genius herself, she was now in college at the age of sixteen. Uhura had given her one of her shirts to wear so she gave up Jim’s jacket to Pike as they waited. Pike wasn’t surprised by Jim’s actions, just said something about his childhood giving him strong opinions about what women should and should not be subjected to.

Admiral Hayes joined his daughter waiting. Cupcake and his friends came around to see how things were going, Uhura promised to tell them when she returned to the dorms. They nodded as they left. Finally, McCoy emerged from surgery to find them waiting. “He’s in critical condition, Chris. The knife was serrated, it made a mess going in and an even bigger one coming out. I think Cupcake’s arrival was the only thing that kept Jim from being stabbed more than once. I think Jim will be fine, I don’t know. We’ll keep you posted.”

McCoy turned and left as Jim came out of surgery, he was on a ventilator. It was as scary a sight as Uhura had ever seen. This whole night had caused her to reevaluate everything she knew about one James T Kirk. She only hoped that he lived so she could tell him.


	7. Bones' Wish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Don’t own them.

Jim was waking up. He could hear Bones’ voice responding to something Chris was telling him. He could hear another girl’s voice. He also knew he didn’t want to open his eyes to another lecture Bones would give him on charging in where Angels fear to tread. He also knew he just butchered that saying. He knew he was in for a lecture because his back hurt and there was a tube down his throat helping him breathe. “Okay, Jim, open your eyes. You’re chewing on the end of your breathing tube and you weren’t doing that an hour ago,” Chris said. With purely a mental sigh Jim opened his eyes and looked up at Captain Christopher Pike and Cadet Leonard McCoy. Both men were peering down at him like he was a specimen in a bottle leaning casually on the bed rails keeping him in bed. Jim waved at the contraption in his mouth. “Oh, you want an explanation?” Chris said with a smirk. Kirk shrugged.

“The knife nicked your diaphragm, the muscle below your lungs that expands and allows you to breathe,” McCoy explained. “You’ve been out a couple of days, and you’ll have that down your throat for a couple of more days, just to give your diaphragm time to heal. You should be out of here and giving your instructors hell again in a couple of more weeks. As for that lecture,” Jim looked down at his lap, “I hope someone like you is around if Joanna ever gets into that kind of trouble.” Jim looked up startled into Bones’ grin. His eyes glistened with pride as Bones looked at his friend. Bones handed him a PADD, “For your classwork, your teachers, for some reason, won’t accept rescuing a young girl from rape as a legitimate excuse from doing it. Bad manners, apparently.” Jim grinned at his gruff manner as Bones left him alone with Chris.

“You did good, son,” Chris told him. “Those men would have killed that girl, on top of raping her, and dumped her in the bay. Had a Betazoid go in and read them, just in case. Not allowed in court, but they will go to jail for their assault of the girl. Admiral Hayes is most impressed, you’ve made a powerful friend, which is why you can afford this private ICU room.”

I’d wondered about that. Jim typed on the PADD. How am I supposed to speak Vulcan like this? The words were frustrated.

“I assume the question is rhetorical, Jim. I think T’Gren wants you to work on your literacy. Just be grateful that they’ve shifted away from using symbols instead of letters.”

Yeah, even Surak found that practice illogical. They started to shift away from it after they met the Andorians. Funny how meeting a warrior race inspired writing.

“Vulcans and Andorians are staunch allies, Jim, remember that. They both found value in each other hundreds of years before either of them found Earth.” Pike patted him on his shoulder before turning to leave, “Get better, Jim, you’ve got a couple of medals coming your way, even if that hadn’t been an admiral’s daughter.” Jim nodded, deep into stellar cartography. Chris turned to smile at the younger man before leaving, Jim was coping extremely well with a tube down his throat. The truth was, Jim had to admit, he’d been struggling to breathe while lying on the ground, and he trusted Bones without hesitation. The man was more like a brother to him than his own brother had ever been. He briefly wondered about Sam, and wondered where he might be, or if he was even alive.

Jim’s musings were briefly interrupted later by the entry of a young woman with honey blonde hair and a pale face. Some might have found her plain, but there was a certain aura about her that he couldn’t quite put his finger on. He smiled as he recognized her and the older man at her side. “Cadet Kirk?” Admiral Hayes asked. Jim nodded. 

Call me Jim, he quickly punched out on his PADD

The Admiral nodded, “I’m Donald to you, young man. You rescued my little girl. Her mother died five years ago, and she’s all I have left.”

“Daddy,” the Lisa said, clearly uncomfortable. She stepped forward and laid a hand on his, “Thank you, Jim.”

Hayes looked at the PADD in Jim’s hand, “Vulcan? Aren’t you a command track?”

Yeah, a friend in linguistics needed a partner, and I’d just finished Anthropology. Jim shrugged. Hayes looked at Jim carefully, apparently making his own evaluation of the young man.

As they left Hayes stopped by and talked to McCoy, “What’s that boy’s aptitude?”

“Jim?” McCoy asked. “He’s twenty-four and has two masters degrees one in Theoretical Physics and another in Engineering from the University of Moscow. Speaks four languages fluently and is working on his fifth. He’s reckless, headstrong, a pain in my ass, but inspires those around him to do better and go further. Oh, he’s a tactical genius, he finished his tactics classwork two weeks into the class and slept the rest of the time. Frustrated his teacher to no end when he knew the answers better than the instructor, and told him what would have worked better. His mind works, mostly, at dizzying speeds that no one can keep up with.”

“Is he Xenophobic?” the Admiral asked.

“Are you looking for a flaw in the boy?” McCoy asked. “Got a big one for you. He has an enormous chip on his shoulder because of his father, George Kirk. When Pike recruited him, he’d been in and out of jail several times. One of these days, that look before you leap attitude is going to get him killed. I say he’ll make captain of some ship before he’s thirty. There are bets going around that he does it before he’s twenty-eight. He also has no sense of self-worth because of an abusive step-father and a neglectful mother. There are days I just want to go beat the crap out of them.”

“There’s something you’re not telling me,” Hayes said flatly.

“There is, but it’s not my secret to tell. Outside of me and Chris, there are only eight others who know it, and they haven’t seen him in years.”

Hayes left and Jim finished his schoolwork. After he was discharged from the hospital, Jim was besieged even more by the female student body. When he and Uhura finally met up for another late night study session he thanked her. Uhura smiled, “I’m just glad you trusted me enough to send Lisa to me. Where’s McCoy?”

Jim smiled, “Chris was right when he told me I’d made a powerful friend when I rescued that girl. I dropped a note with Donald that about Joanna’s birthday. McCoy should be down visiting her about now.”

Uhura looked at Jim for a long time, “You’re a good man to have around, Cadet Kirk.”

“Why thank you, Cadet Uhura!”


	8. NIghtmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suggested by a guest who wouldn't give me a name to call them with. Jim is having nightmares, and McCoy knows their cause. He would be calling Pike in to help, but that is no longer an option. So, he calls the one person in the universe who is in a unique position to know exactly where Jim is, Spock Prime. This is in direct reference to both Star Treks II: the Wrath of Khan and III: the Search for Spock, and into XII: Into Darkness. I'm sorry, I'm no longer posting spoiler warnings. The movie has been out for almost two months. If you haven't seen it by now, I'm sorry. Don't own any of them.

He was dying. He crawled through the tunnels, barely succeeded in starting the warp core, and now, he couldn't breathe. He gasped for air, breathing in the poison his lungs no longer able to cope. Fire rippled along every nerve, and he knew that this was something that McCoy couldn't fix. He made it to the door, and looked up to see a blue shirt, but it wasn't Spock, it was Winona, "Look at you, just like your father," she sneered. "Oh, so noble hearted, no wonder I prefer Sam."

Jim sat up gasping for air that was not poisoned. The dream again, "Lights!" The hospital room lit up. Jim swung his legs over the side of the bed and leveraged himself into the wheelchair. He wheeled himself out toward the balcony, there would be no more sleep tonight. The nurses watched him go, there was nothing they could do to help him. Only so much that Psychiatrists could do to help as well. Before the late twentieth century doctors would label this as shell shock, and tell their patients to get over it. By the latter part of that century, they realized it was a very real condition and started treating it as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. They would often be let go from the military and sometimes paid benefits. Jim didn't want to leave Starfleet, he just didn't know what to do.

McCoy soon joined him with a jacket, reminding Jim that it was too cold to be out in just a hospital gown and shorts. "You are wearing shorts under there, right?" Jim just looked at him. "Just asking. Nurses were complaining." McCoy laughed at the look on his face, "Okay, so they were complaining that you started to wear the shorts!"

Jim laughed at McCoy's dry humor, "So, Doc, how do we fix this head case?"

"I have an idea, Jim, let me talk to someone and see if he's agreeable. We'll know in a couple of days if he is." Jim nodded. He was willing to try just about anything at this point.

The next day the whispers started, the distinguished figure swept through the hospital that he had visited before, only the ICU nurses had known about his previous visit. Everyone stopped and stared as a much older version of Spock stepped in front of the nurse's station, "Excuse me, where may I find Dr. Leonard McCoy." One of the orderlies ran for another room.

McCoy emerged holding a cup of coffee in one hand, he smiled, "Ambassador Spock, I'm glad you could come." McCoy glanced around at the nurses who suddenly decided they had to be somewhere else. "This way."

Spock followed the doctor, "He's having nightmares about dying."

McCoy sighed, "Yes, he is. There's nothing we've tried that's actually helping. I understand you went through a similar experience, maybe…"

Spock nodded, "I will do what I can, McCoy." Spock entered the room and quietly closed it behind him, Jim awoke from a troubled nap and smiled with genuine affection at the Vulcan. "It is good to see you too, Jim."

"You're the one Bones called?" Jim asked, clearly puzzled.

"Yes, Jim, in my universe, I was on the other side of the door, not you. I was the one who died. And it was you and your amazing group of friends, who are my friends as well, who pulled me back to life. My wife had something to do with that too, but that's another story."

"Saavik," Jim mused, "you've mentioned her before."

"I miss her very deeply," Spock admitted. "I also entered that warp core chamber knowing I would die. McCoy and Scotty tried their hardest to stop me, and it was McCoy who called you when there was nothing left to do but say good-bye."

"Scotty called you, McCoy knew about it when I landed on his table, at least that's what he told me. Funny thing about being dead, don't remember much." Spock nodded, and then started talking about his own death. Noting how the Enterprise would have been destroyed if it hadn't gotten away from the Reliant in time. "I never realized how much they cared about me until I woke up," Jim muttered.

"It was much the same for me, my friend. My insecurities came from being a half-breed, and being bullied for it. Vulcan children can be just as cruel as humans. You were always the self-confident, self-assured captain I looked up to. At least I thought so until I learned about Tarsus IV," the old man muttered.

"Your Jim was also on Tarsus IV?" Jim blurted out in horror.

"Yes, he was, and he was able to find closure when Kodos died, at the hands of his own daughter, strangely enough. Jim, McCoy asked me to come here and talk because I'm in a unique position to know exactly how you've been feeling, and I will not judge you for it."

Jim's eyes rested on his ancient companion before he talked about his own death. It was slow, and drawn out. "I wasn't blind at the end, but my eyes were going. I could just see Spock on the other side of the door, most of the time he was a blur, but I knew it was him. I'm so grateful that Scotty called him in, I wasn't alone…" Spock watched as his friend broke down and cried. Then, he did a very human thing, something that in his long years living with humans, taught him did a lot of good. He sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled Jim into his arms, letting him cry. Jim clung to him like a child, much like Spock's own children had done when they awoke afraid.

Finally, the tears subsided and Jim's grip grew lax. Spock gently pushed Jim back into the bed as he realized that his friend had fallen asleep. Spock pulled up the sides of the bed and watched him sleep, undisturbed by terrible dreams. McCoy soon stepped in and watched. "I'll stay here with him, Doctor. Hopefully, he won't have any more nightmares. You were right, he did need this."

McCoy nodded and stepped away, heading for his own bed. Jim was in good hands.


	9. Of Cats and Tribbles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Requested by Shadow Silver Spark, this is what its name sounds like, involving cats and tribbles. This is inspired by a recent kitten video involving a kitten and two lizards. She’s curious about one and the other sneaks up on her and scares the hell out of her. It’s hysterical. This is in the same universe as Admirals, only Kirk isn’t appearing as a corpse here. Someone gives Admiral Pike a kitten, and two tribbles. Don’t own any of it.

“Awwww, she’s so cute,” Uhura cooed at the tiny creature.

“I hate tribbles,” Pike grumbled.

“I was talking about the kitten,” Uhura said as she plucked the tiny calico creature out of Pike’s hands and held her to her face. The kitten placed a curious paw on the woman’s face. She and Spock were at Pike’s quarters having dinner, or being interrogated about Jim’s current condition, depending on who you asked. “Admiral, it’s been six weeks since Khan, why don’t you just go see him?” Uhura asked as she sat down in a chair and deposited the kitten in her lap. The infant curled up in her lap and purred herself to sleep.

Pike sighed, just having gotten out of the hospital a couple of weeks ago himself, “I don’t like seeing Jim so…frail, and so dependent.”

“He’s feeding himself and sitting up by himself now, Chris,” Spock responded. “Physical Therapy starts next week. Komack’s picking him up for Sam’s graduation next week.”

Pride swelled in Pike’s chest at the thought that another Kirk had turned his life around. The only one left was Winona, and he feared she was a lost cause. “I’ll see him then,” Chris said, nodding to himself. Uhura looked down at the floor and noticed the two tribbles making their way toward the humans. Uhura reluctantly put the warm fuzzball on the floor as Pike served dinner. Chicken for the humans, a broccoli casserole and fresh fruit salad for everyone. Spock nodded appreciatively.

Uhura watched as the inquisitive kitten stalked the round, furry things with no visible appendages, or eyes. She watched as the kitten batted at one taking no notice of the other. The first moved away and the kitten slowly started to stalk after it when the other tribble suddenly snuck up on the kitten causing her to jump three feet in the air and turn around and face the tribble. It cooed at her. She let out let out a lout “Mrrroooooowwwww!” before turning around and scampering off, not before sliding on the slick wooden floor. Cats don’t come with brakes.

Uhura and Pike started laughing and Spock’s mouth twitched with amusement at the baby cat’s antics. Even he found it amusing. “Well, I’m never bored around here!” Pike said with a smile.

As they continued to eat they watched the kitten silently walk her way around the back of the sofa and back into sight of the offending furballs. The tribbles had both apparently forgotten her as she snuck up behind one of them and batted a paw at it, watching it skid across the floor. She’d found a new game with new toys. Uhura shook her head in wonder as the kitten continued to bat the tribble around like it was a ball.

“I’ve got it! Her name is Trouble for Tribbles!”


	10. Trouble for Tribbles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pike has convinced McCoy to let him bring in the furballs he’s adopted. Jim doesn’t suspect a thing. Don’t own them.

Jim sighed, John had given into McCoy’s demands and given him a desk job, or, in this case, a bed job. “Note to self, don’t die in McCoy’s reach again, you’ll spend long months in the hospital,” he quipped grimly. Jim shook his head as he looked at the latest reports from ship’s captains on the frontiers. Where he desperately wished he could be, but his ship and his body had different ideas.

“Any luck?” a familiar voice was heard. Jim looked up and smiled as he saw Pike enter the room carrying two pet carriers.

Jim looked at him curiously, “I can’t see patterns that aren’t there, Chris. At least if they’re not there yet. When did you get a pet?”

“Well, the cat adopted me and the other two McCoy gave me, with strict instructions not to feed them too much.”

Jim looked perplexed, “Cat?” Chris just smiled as he shut the door behind him and set the carriers down on the chair. Soon, he pulled out a tiny kitten and dumped her on Jim’s knee. Trouble looked up at this new person with a questioning, “Mrow?” Jim reached out and scratched the kitten behind the ears. She immediately started purring and walked further up Jim’s body as Chris pulled out two tribbles. “Now that’s a combination you don’t normally see,” Jim said with a laugh.”

“Yeah, she tends to bat them around the apartment. Don’t feel sorry for them though. They sneak up on her when she’s asleep and scare the crap out of her. It’s a game they’ve invented. Tribbles can actually move pretty quickly when they want to.”

Jim watched as Chris set all three on the floor and as Trouble started batting them around. He couldn’t help but smile, it had been a week since Jo left Zurich with her mom, and he missed her almost as much as McCoy did. Trib 1, as Chris called it, snuck up under the bed while Trib 2 lay quiescent on the floor, almost taunting Trouble. She continued batting it around until Trib 1 popped out from under the bed and surprised Trouble, causing to leap straight into the air and run behind a chair to hide. A variation of this game continued as Chris sat down on the edge of Jim’s bed, “How are you doing?”

“Alright, I guess, I’m sitting up in the chair for a couple of hours at a time, now. They still have to put a tray table in front of me for when I fall asleep.” Jim watched with a grin as Trib 1 flew into the air only to be caught by the kitten. Well, caught being relative, the Tribble was bigger than Trouble. “Getting used to that, though. I hope it comes to an end soon.”

“When you’ve healed enough for it, Jim,” Chris said.

“I know, Chris. Hey, have you met Nurse Crachett. Best nurse I’ve got, although that’s her maiden name. Her name’s actually Leslie Sisko, she and her husband have kinda adopted me,” Chris grinned. He had met Mrs. Sisko, she was an earthy woman who had a huge heart. Jim was in good hands with this family.

“They’re good people, Jim,” Chris said. Jim laughed as Trouble leaped to the edge of the bed and proceeded to claw her way back up to them. She then demanded attention from them while the Tribbles started knocking themselves against Chris’ shoes. Chris scooped them up, “I would never have thought that these things have personalities, but they definitely do. Trib 1 is the quiet one, it’ll play possum the most, while Trib 2 is the sneaky one. Scared the bejeezus out of me more than once.”

“You heard about Sam?” Jim asked petting Trouble absently.

“Yeah, I’m glad he’s turned his life around,” Chris’ voice drifted off as Jim fell asleep the tiny kitten in his lap. He left the room letting the nurses know about Trouble, “Let me know if she causes trouble, I’ll be back in a few hours to pick her up.” He ended up leaving the tribbles behind too, the nurses had fallen in love.

When he went back for his friends McCoy stopped and thanked him, “Sometimes, Mother Nature provides the best source of therapy. Better than anything we can provide.”


	11. McCoy and Disasters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On an away mission to explore an uninhabited planet for colonization, its indigenous inhabitants (non-sentient) decide to take issue with the away team for taking one of its young. There are serious injuries, and unhappy doctors. This is following a suggestion by Spock4Eternity. Fortunately, the Enterprise has more than one doctor. Don’t own any of them.

This had started out as a routine away mission. This planet had no apparent sentient life, and looked suitable for colonization. But, as Jim Kirk sat on a rock nursing a broken shoulder, non-sentient didn’t always mean not dangerous. Jim scrubbed at his face with his good hand, Pike was going to have a field day over this.

They encountered a Class M planet on the edges of Federation space whose native inhabitants hadn’t discovered fire. A good sign that this might be a planet suitable for colonization. An away team consisting of Kirk, Spock, a young Vulcan cadet named T’Ler, a few security people, ahem, red shirts, and McCoy had beamed down to the planet to investigate. Along the way McCoy picked what appeared to be a young quadripedal creature looking like a cross between a deer and a raccoon. Two of the appendages appeared to end in “hand” like extensions. The poor thing was injured, and McCoy thought it would be a good opportunity to learn about the biology of the place by nursing it back to health.

It remained quiet for almost three days before finally feeling well enough to let its feelings be known about the whole situation, loudly. It started crying. McCoy, had been about to let it go back into its native environment when rocks started being thrown. It started off with small rocks and they progressively got bigger as larger members of the species took part in this fight. No one wanted to hurt these animals, and McCoy managed to put the youngster on the ground before getting hit with something resembling a mediums sized boulder in the back. Spock responded by attempting to pull McCoy away from danger, only to be his as well in the chest. Things went spectacularly downhill from there.

Kirk started firing his phaser at these creatures, set on stun, to at least try and frighten them away. It worked, but only after he broke his shoulder, three of the four security guards were either killed or seriously hurt, and T’Ler twisted her ankle. T’Ler was on the Enterprise learning from M’Benga about Vulcan and human physiology to qualify as a doctor in Starfleet. Jim privately admitted that she’d make a fine officer, most Vulcans did, but the pain in his shoulder was making it difficult to think. She attended Spock’s injuries before coming over to him. With her help he bound his arm to his side so as not to make matters worse. Then, he went around to the humans and administered first aid as the final security guard helped.

“I qualified as a field medic before I joined Starfleet,” Kirk told T’Ler before resuming what he was doing. He watched as she took considerable care over Spock. She was unusual for a Vulcan, she qualified for the Academy at seventeen, and while her long black hair and chiseled features were not that uncommon for the species, her startling azure blue eyes made her stand out. Brown was the most common color for Vulcans, as most humanoid/Vulcanoid species, but other colors did occur.

Finally, Jim pulled out his communicator, “Kirk to Enterprise, Away Team to beam up. Alert M’Benga that we have three serious injuries, including McCoy and Spock.”

“Aye, sir,” came the response. Kirk felt the familiar tug as they were transported to the Enterprise. M’Benga was waiting in the transporter room. He carefully maneuvered Spock, McCoy, and Curry onto waiting gurneys as Jim went with them. He helped the young Vulcan limp her way down to Sickbay as they were among the walking wounded.

Dr. M’Benga along with a new doctor, Catrell, took McCoy and Spock back immediately for surgery. Curry didn’t make it, he was dead on arrival. Kirk braced himself against a bulkhead as Chapel and one of the male orderlies reset his shoulder by hand. The whole process was five of the longest minutes he’d had in a long time, but it felt better when they were done. Kirk was resting before returning to his quarters as M’Benga exited surgery with Spock. His smock was covered in green blood, “He’ll be fine, Captain. Just leave him in peace and quiet and let the Vulcan Healing Trance do its work.” They watched as Spock was transferred to a bed and M’Benga came over to check the work done on his shoulder. “It will be fine, Captain, just leave it in the sling for a few days. It’ll be good as new.”

McCoy was another story, the solid hit to his back barely missed his spine, but caused severe bruising and broken ribs not to mention internal bleeding. Dr. Catrell was every bit as competent as McCoy and M’Benga and McCoy awoke, briefly, while being wheeled out of surgery, “You’re not going to yell at me, are you Jim?”

Jim was taken aback by the question, “No, Bones, I’ll let M’Benga do that. I’m not your doctor.”

“You might as well go rest in your quarters, Captain,” Chapel told him. “I’ll call if anything happens.”

“Thanks, Chapel,” Jim said as he slowly made his way back to his quarters. As he looked over at Spock, T’Ler was hovering over his bed.


	12. Concern

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day following the attack, and Spock comes out of his trance. Fortunately, M’Benga knows how to give him a hand in doing so. Don’t own any of them.

Kirk was back the next day. M’Benga had wanted to wait until the next day to use the bone regenerator to help his shoulder heal, and Kirk wanted to see how the away team was doing. He waited patiently as Nurse Chapel ran the tricorder over it and passed the readings onto M’Benga. M’Benga had Jim set his arm down on a table while he ran the regenerator over his shoulder. It wasn’t comfortable, but Jim had been through a lot worse. While M’Benga was checking his work one last time, T’Ler came running in, “Doctor, Spock is reviving.” M’Benga quickly turned the final check over to Dr. Catrell and hurried out of the room.

Catrell quickly finished, advising the Captain to keep the arm in a sling the rest of the week before they both hurried out to see what was happening. Spock was on his feet being gently restrained by T’Ler as M’Benga stood in front of him and slapped him. The slaps were hard enough to sting and get Spock’s attention without actually causing any injury, but the continuous nature of the blows caused alarm as Kirk approached M’Benga. Just as he was about to put a stop to the whole procedure, Spock put up a hand, “It’s alright, Jim,” came his husky voice. “M’Benga knows what he’s doing. We’re fortunate to have him aboard. T’Ler is the only one strong enough to restrain me while the Doctor did what needed to be done.” Spock reached out a hand and laid it on M’Benga’s sleeve, “Thank you, Doctor.”

“M’Benga, just how did you become an expert in Vulcan physiology?” Kirk asked.

“I served in the Vulcan Halls of Healing on Mount Seleya ten years ago, Captain. I applied there after finishing up my residency. They were intrigued enough to let me go study. I became certified there to treat Vulcan patients. The healing trance can be a tricky thing. Vulcans can come out of light ones for minor injuries with little to no help. For deeper trauma, even the end stages of Pon Farr, it requires direct intervention, otherwise they’ll never completely come out of it and die.” Kirk blanched at the thought of what would have happened if M’Benga hadn’t been here. “Uhura should be able to take him back to his quarters tonight. Go get some rest, T’Ler, I’ll see you in the morning,” they both watched the cadet leave. “I think T’Ler has developed a crush on our Commander.”

Kirk nodded as they approached McCoy. Bones was in and out of consciousness, and while M’Benga wasn’t really concerned about the outcome, but wanted someone to sit with Kirk. Jim pulled up a chair and a table to put a PADD on so he could still perform some work. He watched T’Ler as surreptitiously as he could as she finally propelled herself out of Sickbay, and just in time, too. Uhura came off shift and strolled in to check on Spock and Bones.

“How’s the shoulder?” the question came out of nowhere. Jim looked up and saw Uhura hovering over him and McCoy.

“Healing, M’Benga said I’ll be back on duty by the end of the week. How’s Spock?”

“We’re leaving in a few minutes. How’s McCoy?”

“Grumpy, as usual, he hates being in here even worse than I do. I mean as a patient!” Kirk laughed. Uhura patted him on the shoulder as she and Spock eventually left. 

Jim had fallen asleep in the chair when he heard McCoy’s voice, “Hey, go to your quarters and rest that shoulder. You don’t need to babysit a grumpy old man.”

Kirk awoke with a grin, “I’m not. M’Benga asked me to sit with you, and after all that you’ve done for me…” Jim didn’t need to finish the sentence.

McCoy patted Jim’s hand, “Well, for a change, you just pulled my ass out of the fire, and I appreciate it.”

“Hey, what are friends for?”


	13. Kirk's Habits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This contains the birthday party mentioned in Two Weeks of Hell. Thank you AlbusSPotter for the prompt. Kirk’s eating habits have long been the subject of speculation. McCoy learns of Jim’s involvement in Tarsus IV after Jim’s habits catch up with him. Don’t own them.

It wasn’t that Jim didn’t eat, he did. McCoy watched him do it often enough to know he did it, but patterns seemed to develop from the first day at the Academy. First day after they woke up Kirk looked up and saw McCoy about to head out for breakfast, “Come on, Jim. Time for breakfast.”

“Oh, yeah, breakfast,” Kirk responded. He followed Bones to the mess hall and got breakfast. Jim absently led McCoy to a far corner of the room where he could watch everyone coming in and sat down. The next thing McCoy realized was that Jim took the entire meal hour to eat his breakfast, and lunch and dinner.

The next thing McCoy realized was that Jim didn’t eat much. Barely enough to keep a healthy weight, and even then his instructors were glaring at him about his weight. On top of that, he was a neat freak. His side of the dorm room was immaculate. Nothing out of place unless it was something that drifted over from McCoy’s side of the room, and then it tended to end up somewhere embarrassing, like the toilet. His eating habits and his cleanliness were exactly the same, clean and tidy.

One day, McCoy threw Jim a birthday party. Upon realizing people were coming over for a party, Jim started cleaning up McCoy’s side of the room. People started arriving and Jim was running the vacuum cleaner and the feather duster at the same time. McCoy was attempting to pick up his mess. Naturally, everybody drifted over to Jim’s side of the room. Uhura had brought a cake as well as presents.

It was at this point that McCoy became dumbfounded. Jim didn’t realize that all the fuss was over him. People started handing him presents and all he did was look at them, unsure as to what to do with them. “It’s your birthday, Jim. Haven’t you ever had a birthday party?” McCoy asked.

“Well, no, I mean Sam used to buy me presents, but, no one else really cared about it being my birthday, I mean, it was the day my Dad died.”

McCoy stared at Jim in consternation. Uhura immediately took up the cleaning of McCoy’s half of the room while they sat Jim down. McCoy gave him a large black and white photograph of a lakeside at dusk. Uhura gave him a tiny crystal vase that caught and reflected the light. Cupcake paid off his bar tab. Jim even had to be shown to blow out the candles on his birthday cake. It made McCoy sad that Jim had obviously not had any of the childhood experiences that most people take for granted.

No one was really sure how, but a large man stormed the party, and it was obvious from the way Jim shrank from him that he knew the man. The man demanded money from Jim, and Jim refused. The drunk grabbed Jim by the arm and yelled at him that he needed money and Jim was going to give it to him. Not even Cupcake had ever witnessed this kind of behavior. He stepped up to the man and tapped him on the shoulder, inviting him to step outside, but not before the drunk landed a solid hit on Jim on the shoulder. Jim dropped to the floor, curling in a little ball and whimpered.

The whole scene made McCoy’s blood boil. The only people he’d seen ever react in this way had been severely abused, and in McCoy’s mind, this was Jim’s abuser. Cupcake must have come to a similar conclusion, because he was seen hauling the man away with several friends. When they returned their knuckles were bruised and bloodied, no one said a word. McCoy checked Jim over, he didn’t think it was anything worse than a bruise. “Come on, Jim, he’s gone. It’s all over, he’s not going to hurt you again,” McCoy kept saying over and over.

Jim slowly uncurled himself from the fetal ball he’d tucked himself into as Christopher Pike showed up, his face became unreadable as he dropped to a crouch in front of him. “It was Frank, Chris, he was here,” Jim whimpered.

Pike looked up as Cupcake gave a short summary of what happened and what they had done about it. Pike nodded his thanks as the party continued. “How’d he get here? Why? How’d he find me?” Pike had no answers, and had Cupcake find security and throw Frank in jail. When he came back Frank had disappeared, nowhere to be found. An alert was given out, he was not allowed on Academy property, no matter what happened.

The next day Kirk told McCoy about his abusive childhood. Frank was his stepfather, “When I was ten my Mom shipped me off to her sister’s. I returned about five years later and my mom wanted nothing to do with me, so I traveled the world. Got a couple of Master’s Degrees, learned a few languages, and wound up back in Iowa where I got arrested a few more times.”

“Tell him, Jim, he needs to know about those years at your aunt’s,” Pike leaned into him. “It’s alright, he’s not going to judge you. There are already whispers about those scars.”

Kirk sighed, “You’ve heard about the Tarsus 9?” McCoy nodded, “I’m JT.”

That hit McCoy like a ton of bricks. He knew who JT was, they had just finished discussing Tarsus IV in ethics class. “That explains your eating habits, Jim. You just got used to not eating.”

Pike was rubbing soft circles on Jim’s back, “It’s okay, Jim, everything’s fine. Frank is gone.” Jim never saw Frank again, he died three weeks later in a barroom brawl. Somebody decided to beat the crap out of him. Jim never forgot the lessons learned that day. He finally realized there were people here who really and truly cared about him, and he treasured all the gifts they gave him. It was that determination that drove him to save his family from the fate both Marcus and Khan had decreed for them in the space above San Francisco.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this was restarted three times before I finally got done. The picture mentioned in this story is actually sitting behind me on the wall. I just fell in love with that picture. Please R&R.


	14. Space Seed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Again, Silver-ShadowSpark prompt. Spock Prime faces the man who once caused his own death as his friend lies near death. Don’t own them.

Spock Prime stopped before the brig area in Starfleet Headquarters. He was here to see, and confirm, that this was indeed the criminal known as Khan Noonien Singh. He kept his face impassive, but if this was Khan... Spock had to admit it. Khan was one of the few beings in the universe that could strike fear into his soul, only because he remembered him.

Spock walked into the brig and Admiral Komack turned to face him, “Thank you for coming, Ambassador. We appreciate you doing this for us.” Spock nodded. He hadn’t gone to see Jim, yet. He was afraid of what he would find. Spock’s gaze roamed the cells with a feeling akin to dread. Then, he saw him. A predator on the prowl. Powerful, intelligent, dangerous.

There was no longer any doubt in Spock’s mind as he strolled up to the cell holding Khan. The two contemplated each other. “The way you approached me means you can only be one person. Ambassador Spock. I read about you in your intelligence report. I never thought to meet you face to face.”

Urbane, educated, and smooth, they were also adjectives that described this man. He could and did pour on the charm as he faced the Vulcan. “I am,” Spock replied.

“So, why have you come to see a lowly prisoner? Hmm? Did I piss you off somehow?”

“I knew you,” came the simple reply.

“Oh, in your universe I existed as well. How was I?”

“Dangerous, psychotic, manipulative and a murderer,” Spock replied.

“Oh, who did I kill in your universe? Your precious captain?”

“You caused my death,” Spock replied quietly, and painfully.

The other man smirked, “You don’t look dead. Now, why would I want to kill you?”

“You were trying to kill James T Kirk. You were hell-bent on doing just that. I was on the ship he was on, and simply in the way.” That was an oversimplification. Spock had, like Jim most recently, chosen what happened to him.

“You know, I’m sorry he was the one to die, I expected it to be his engineer. Waste of a talented man, that death is. I found him a highly capable, extremely intelligent opponent. He would have been a great man, if he had lived.”

“Where is the Botany Bay?” Spock asked quietly.

“How is the Captain, did my blood revive him?” Khan retorted. Spock’s eyes turned haunted, “You and your counterpart in this universe are very much alike. I don’t know where the Botany Bay is. I’d tell you to ask Admiral Marcus, but he’s no longer talking.” Khan paused, “He’s still dead, isn’t he. It didn’t work?”

Spock backed up, not answering the question given. Khan resumed his prowl. “You succeeded in doing the one thing Khan in my time could not do. He was determined to kill Captain Kirk.”

“It seems that I succeeded then. How interesting. Waste of a good opponent, though. Marcus had nothing on Kirk.” Khan deliberately turned his back on Spock. Spock turned his back on Khan.

“Either kill him, or put him back in cryosleep, Admiral. That man has no business being in the waking world again. He will only cause more death, destruction, and pain.” Admiral Komack nodded as the elderly Vulcan left.

Later that day

McCoy turned from another long fought battle with Jim’s body. He rubbed his eyes tiredly as the breathing tube down Kirk’s gullet did the job for him. “I’m sorry, Jim. It’s the only way to keep you alive,” he sighed as he sat down in the chair.

“What happened, Doctor?” a voice asked.

McCoy turned to see the elderly Spock walk into the room, “His left lung filled with fluid and collapsed. I drained out the fluid, but now he’s.” Bones broke. His best friend kept trying to die, and he kept trying to fight these attempts with everything he knew. “I don’t even know if this is all worth the effort. What if he never wakes up.”

Spock ran light fingers over the Captain’s head before settling into the mind-meld. McCoy watched impassively. Soon, Spock returned to the present before he turned and walked over to the window, contemplating   
the world outside. “He’s there, Doctor, never fear. He’s in considerable pain and very much afraid, but he is there.” He sighed, “I led Khan to believe that Jim is dead.”

“You lied,” McCoy said softly.

“A trick I learned from an old friend,” Spock said. “Khan spewed so much of his anger and hate out on Jim in my universe, that I find myself compelled to protect this one in any way possible. If, somehow, he manages to find his way out of whatever hell Starfleet has planned for him, Khan will not come looking for Kirk.” McCoy was not the first to protect Jim, nor would he be the last.

“Jim is, we all are, lucky to have you as a friend.”


	15. The Follies of Genius

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pike learns that Kirk took the VSA Entrance Exam, and passed. Don’t own them.

Kirk was asleep when Pike entered the room. Pike was now slowly walking again, thanks to the expert skill of Starfleet’s doctors, and he really wanted to talk to Jim. He sat down in the bedside chair and waited out Jim’s enforced nap. Jim awoke with a smile for Chris, “Nice to see you, Chris.” Pike gave him a long look, “What did I do this time?” Jim asked, nervously.

“You got into the Vulcan Science Academy,” Chris stated, it wasn’t a question.

Jim shrugged and mumbled, “Wasn’t that hard,”

“Jim, there are Vulcans who spend years studying and never make it in, and you did it without half trying?” Chris asked.

“Oh, come on! It started off by asking about Murphy’s Law! How hard can a test be if it starts asking about Old Man Murphy?”

“Jim, this means you have thrown every single aptitude test you’ve ever taken. Why?”

Jim compressed his lips, “Chris, by the time I drove that car off that cliff, I’d graduated from high school. I had even started a few college classes. Then, I got shipped off to Tarsus IV, where I was re-enrolled in a local junior high. I did all the classwork in a few days, and just turned in the homework when it was due. There was a special school there for the gifted and talented, but for some reason, I shied away from it. It didn’t feel right, so I played average. You’d never believe that I played dumb.” Chris nodded.

“Funny, I was targeted because I was ‘average’, he never targeted the kids in the school, or the smart ones outside of school. As my science project, right before the famine, I started working on a specific crop that would be resistant to just about any problems that might arise: drought, disease, fungi, you know the usual. When the order came down for us to gather in the square, he’d received the work I’d done on the plants, but didn’t realize it was me. I escaped, naturally.”

Jim pulled out a flash drive, and plugged it into his PADD before handing it to Pike, “Did he ever find out?” Pike asked.

“Yes, he also realized that I’d survived the massacre. That’s one of the reasons he targeted me. He wanted to make sure I never finished my work. It would erase in justification he might have had for what he did.”

“Jim, what are you going to do with this?” Chris asked.

“Sarek has agreed to take it back to Vulcan and put it out there under their auspices. My name will never be mentioned. God forbid that it’s known that I’m a Tarsus IV survivor. I don’t need the money that the patent would bring.”

Pike paused, looking at him, “Tarsus IV could have made you a very bitter person, Jim. Very angry against the universe and what it did to you, and for a while it did. But, during that time, it also made you so focused on making sure what happened there didn’t happen elsewhere, that greed lost out to compassion.”

Jim chuckled, “I am greedy, Chris. My greed is for knowledge and women, not money or fame. Although, I’ve been told I’m quite famous now.”

“Those blue eyes are going to get you into trouble, son,” Pike chuckled.

“Already have,” Jim said with a grin. He pressed the nurse’s button, “Maybe I can get them to help me into the chair, at least for a little while. I’d like to go out onto the terrace. It’s quite beautiful.” Pike stood back as the nurses did just that. They admonished Pike to bring him back in if he fell asleep after securely tucking him in with blankets. “Geez, you’d think I was going to fall apart by a good stiff breeze.”

Jim was right, Chris decided. Zurich’s view was quite beautiful. He looked over at his young friend and found himself agreeing with Komack, Jim did look fragile, even as his health steadily improved. “Jim, you have no idea how frightened I was when I heard you’d been killed.”

“Chris, I had two options. First, die when the ship hit the ground along with the rest of my crew and those innocents on the ground, or, second, die in that chamber, and deny both Khan and Marcus their final victory, allowing my crew to survive. I had no idea that Khan would set his ship on a collision course with San Francisco. The needs of the many and all that.”

“In the end,” Chris said, “they decided that the needs of the many were best served by the needs of the one. THAT is what marks you as one of the greats, Jim. A crew so loyal that would do anything for you.” Jim shook his head, “Yes, you made mistakes, we all have. You just have to decide to move on.” Jim pulled out his PADD and handed it to Pike. Pike began reading its contents and his eyebrows went up, “Quantum Strings and Their Properties? Theoretical Engineering: How We Can Make Intership Transport a Functional Reality? You wrote those?”

“I submitted them as my Doctoral Theses recently. Not a whole lot to do recently,” Jim said with a crooked smile. “Had Scotty look it over and Spock before he left on the Gagarin. They believe they’re quite sound.”

“Jim, I don’t even understand half of this stuff in either paper, and you’re showing me the ones in English. Is that Cyrillic?”

“Yeah, that’s where I got my original Masters Degrees from, Russia.”

“Jim, I’m looking forward to the day when I can call you Dr. Kirk,” Chris said with a laugh.


	16. Engineering Scheme

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A guest suggested I do something about something happening to Chekov. Instead, Chekov has worked so hard for the Engine redesign, that Starfleet’s Engineers want him to come explain it, with help from his wheelchair bound Captain. Anything to help his favorite navigator, Jim is quite agreeable. Don’t own them.

Captain James Tiberius Kirk was actually a very patient individual. He’d sat through McCoy’s drunken rages at bars without drinking a drop. Someone had to drive them back to the campus, evidently, it was his turn. He’d patiently listened to each member of his crew during the Narada incident to formulate the best plan possible. He’d even patiently listened to crew members who felt they had been unfairly passed over for promotion.

Unfortunately, right now, he had little patience for his body. It, unfortunately, let him know at inopportune times that he needed to sit down. Well, that was better than sudden naps, but the wheelchair was on the other side of the office, and he really needed to get down to see McCoy for his next check-up. McCoy was weaning him off the medication and he hoped he could stop another drug today. Jim sighed as he was about to hit the button for his secretary to get the chair when the door to his office burst open with a certain over-excited Ensign babbling in Russian.

“Captain! The Engineers hawe accepted my redesign of the matter/antimatter flux for the varp core! They vant me to come explain it to them!” Chekov announced.

“Congratulations, Ensign!” Jim said, genuinely pleased, “When?”

“Now,” he replied. “I need your help, Keptin. Can you go vith me in your chair, kind of an emphasis as to vhy the changes are necessary.” Kirk quickly got Chekov to bring over the chair and he slid himself into it. Chekov took the handles at the back and took off like a shot. Jim suddenly wondered if he needed a seat belt as they hurtled through Starfleet’s headquarters. People hurriedly got out of the way and Kirk did see an amused Admiral or two, or three.

When they reached the chamber a yeoman showed them in. It was actually fun being in this chamber for a different purpose than to get grilled for something that they’d done. Kirk sat back and watched as several engineers entered through a side door. He looked over to see Scotty sitting in the audience with the smile of a proud papa. “Begin, Mr. Chekov,” Commander Shavez told him.

“Yes, sir,” he began. Kirk smiled as he realized that Chekov had smoothed out his accent and had become extremely professional. “Eight months ago the Enterprise embarked on a mission to Klingon space. During the course of the journey, the ship was knocked out of warp by an engine malfunction. At least at the time we thought it was, it turned out that someone had sabotaged the warp core. The two parts of the core had misaligned and it took the courageous actions of Captain James Kirk to realign the warp core, nearly killing him in the process.” Chekov nodded at his Commanding Officer. Jim shifted in his chair, smiling pleasantly at the board.

Jim watched as Chekov expanded on his theories and ideas of the redesign of the warp core, and future warp engines. He even theorized that it was possible to reach “transwarp” speeds that would make current warp drive technology obsolete with such a redesign. Jim nodded in absent understanding of what Chekov was proposing. He was learning something new from his Ensign and wondered what was really going on. This was oddly formal for a simple engine redesign. After he finished, Chekov smiled. They began asking him questions. Finally, they concluded, “Thank you, Ensign. We’ll let you know in a few days our decision.” Chekov smiled and nodded, knowing that this was what could be expected on a day like this.

Kirk looked at Scotty as Chekov whistled his way down the hall, “Help me to medical, will you. I’m late for an appointment with Bones.” Scotty quickly agreed as he was pushed down toward the hospital, “Scotty, what was that about? It kind of reminded of my masters thesis arguments years ago.”

Scotty winked at Kirk, “It should, Jim. That’s exactly what was goin’ on, even though he dinnae know it yet. Tis easier fer him this way. Not so nervous.” Kirk laughed as he was wheeled into Bones’ office. Bones grumped at him, until Jim told him why he was late. McCoy let go a genuine smile.

“Do you think he’ll get it?” McCoy asked as he ran a tricorder over Jim’s body.

“I’d give it to him,” Kirk responded. McCoy laughed and so did Scotty. “Unfortunately, it’s not up to me, or Scotty.” They both nodded in agreement.

Three days later Kirk received an e-mail from the Academy, Chekov passed. He asked Chekov and Scotty to meet him in his office. Admiral Archer joined them. “Mr. Chekov, the engineers were impressed by your report on the engines of the Enterprise, and are implementing many of your ideas into the new engines. They are also incorporating it into a new ship, the USS Excelsior, where they will be experimenting with warp drive.” Chekov’s smile kept getting bigger. Scotty clapped him on the shoulder.

“Furthermore, your report has been accepted as your thesis for a Master’s Degree in Engineering. Congratulations, Chekov, you graduate in two weeks.” Chekov’s mouth worked, but no words emerged as he took in Kirk’s words. 

Archer reached forward and shook his hand, “Well, I’m not surprised that Enterprise’s crew would be an overachieving bunch.” Archer said with a chuckle. “Oh, you’re being promoted to Lieutenant. It’s nice to have happy events after so much sorrow.”

Chekov left the building and went outside. His dreams were coming true. Soon, he would join Scotty in the engine room and other parts that were his responsibility. Dreams really occasionally come true.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, enjoy, Chekov really is too cute!


	17. Captive Audience

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the same universe as Admirals, only while Pike is still alive, Kirk ain’t so dead! lol Pike decides to take advantage of Kirk being in a coma as a captive audience. Don’t own any of them.

Pike rolled into Kirk’s room. They had removed the hip immobilizers that day, and he had plans. Kirk was a week out from being dead, and while looking a lot better, he was still in a coma. McCoy emphatically told him that it wouldn’t change until the end of the week. He’d gone through surgery to correct broken bones earlier that morning and a cast was on his right arm. Pike looked mournfully at his young friend, “Not lookin’ so good, Jimmy,” he told the unconscious man. “What you do for your crew. Cadets on the command track seriously need to learn your lesson. Some never do.”

Kirk’s face had relaxed in the week since coming here. He no longer looked like he was in immense pain. Pike knew that a coma wasn’t sleep, but Jim looked like he was doing just that, sleeping. Pike smiled an evil grin, “Move over, son. You and me, we’re havin’ a little talk.” Knowing full well that Kirk wasn’t going to cooperate, Pike let down the side rails and manhandled Jim’s body, piece by piece, over to the far rails. “You know, I forgot how heavy six feet of solid, unmoving muscle is,” Pike continued conversationally as he finished this maneuver. “There, all set,” he continued as he leveraged himself into the bed next to Kirk.

Pike lay back and insinuated his arm around Kirk’s neck before playing with his hair, “I used to do this with my own son, when he was little. He was sick or had nightmares. I saw Steven yesterday, came in with Mom. It was good to see them. Steven has moved to San Francisco and is getting married in a few months. He’d like you to be there. I told him that it would depend on that grumpy bear you have for a doctor.”

Pike sighed, “Jim, a parent should never outlive their children, and I damned near outlived you. You have a death certificate, by the way. It was recorded when they pulled you out of the warp core chamber. You should make a copy of it and put it on your office wall when you get back on board the Enterprise. She’s waitin’ for you, Jimmy. She’s being repaired, just like her captain, and she’ll be there when you’re both whole and healthy and ready to go.”

Pike looked down at his friend, whose head lolled to the side. He reached down and brought Kirk’s face up to stare straight at him if his eyes were open. Carefully, Pike pulled back a lid. He watched as the iris reacted to the light and a slight shiver went through the young man’s frame. “So, Spock was right, you are still in there. Good to know that this talk isn’t going in one ear and out the other. Jim, you’re a damn fine captain now. You respect the chair more than I do, frankly. I just wish it didn’t take dying for you to do that. 

“And about that! I know that Marcus never intended you to survive, or the rest of the Enterprise crew for that matter, but don’t depend on your First Officer to do all the thinking. I mean, he’s Science, not Command. Okay, it did prove his suitability for the Captain’s Chair, but I hope that’s not what you were thinking when you pulled that stunt.

“Jimmy, you’re going to have to slow down, or you’re going to give me a heart attack, and Bones a stroke. You know that’s the last thing you need to do. You’ll also disappoint a little girl who adores Mr. Captain Jim. You’re going to have to come up with a better title when you wake up. Mr. Captain Jim is an awful mouthful for a five year old girl. Come back to us Jimmy, we need you, your crew most of all,” Pike struggled with tears. He put his other arm around Jim and rocked back and forth. For a split second Kirk reached up and patted his hand against Pike’s arm before dropping it back to the bed.

“Wow, that’s the first positive sign I’ve seen since this whole mess started,” McCoy’s voice intruded into his thoughts. Startled, Pike looked up. “You set off all sorts of alarms when you got into bed with him. I wasn’t prepared to find two heartbeats and two sets of vitals. I suddenly wondered if an act of God had occurred and Jim was pregnant. I was relieved to find you there.”

“What’s a positive sign?” Pike whispered.

“He patted your arm, that means he’s responding to his environment. First time he’s done that,” McCoy looked at Pike. “You’re being released back to San Francisco next week. I asked them to wait until Jim wakes up.”

“Thank you, Leonard. Can you just let me be with my boy?”

“Sure, I need to take Joanna down for some lunch anyway. I’ll check in later. Your nurses know where you are, so don’t worry about them coming to hunt you down.” Pike nodded as he lay there with Jim, grateful for this moment and that they were both still alive.


	18. Tribbling Times

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yes, that’s right. Trib 1, Trib 2, and Trouble are back, and they have news about a recent cadet that Pike doesn’t realize until a scientist walks into his office. No, I have never been owned by a cat. And if you believe that, I have a bridge in New York to sell you, real cheap. Don’t own any of them, including that bridge.

Pike didn’t know exactly when he started bringing the infamous trio with him to work, or when Archer decided Porthos needed to make friends. Porthos often ended up in here with him if Archer needed to go off-world, or just off-campus. Porthos was a friendly enough pup, who got along with Trouble and the two Tribs just fine. Pike just let the animals have the run of the office and had a sign to open the door carefully, animals inside.

The Tribbles liked everyone, even Vulcans. Chris had had both Spock and T’Gren in here more than once, and they’d both absently scooped up a tribble and stroked it as it began knocking on a shoe. Trouble took the more direct approach, she jumped into the visitor’s lap. She’d often curl up and purr contentedly in their lap. Which was more preferable to Pike’s keyboard, PADD, communicator, or any other electronic device that suited her fancy when he was using it.

The Tribbles started acting peculiarly one day when a young, first year engineering cadet came into Pike’s office. They started shrieking at him. They did not like the cadet at all. Pike, puzzled, ended up putting them in their carriers and giving them to his yeoman until the cadet left. He had never seen them react that way to ANYONE, not even Admiral Barnett.

One day, the Enterprise swung by to drop off a Klingon scientist and his family, who had transported themselves to the bridge of the ship and asked for asylum. Pike was set to interview them, and asked Jim to come along with McCoy. They had just entered the office when the Tribbles were set off again. This time they were actually attacking the Klingons shoes. The poor man and his family looked down at the tiny creatures and sighed, “As you may have just noticed, Tribbles and Klingons do not get along. We have been hunting them down as they are an ecological hazard, and they seem to take offense to that.”

Pike stared at the man, “Wait, did you say they hate all Klingons.” The man nodded. After the family left Pike asked McCoy and Kirk to stay. He called his Yeoman and asked for her to get that cadet back into his office. Again, the Tribbles reacted violently to his presence.

McCoy took out his ever present tricorder and scanned the young man before looking incredulously at Admiral Pike, “Sir, this man is a Klingon!”

Pike watched the young cadet slump into his chair before calling his yeoman, “Dana, could you get Cadet Saev in here please?” He held up his hand for silence as minutes more passed. A young female cadet entered, Jim was startled, she was Betazoid. Pike nodded at the other cadet. They watched as she laid a gentle hand on his shoulder and nothing was appeared to have been said during those long moments. She turned to Pike before nodding once and left. Pike looked at the young man, “Why haven’t you asked for asylum?”

“My parents are still in the Klingon Empire,” he replied, “I’m afraid if I reveal my presence here, they will be tortured.”

“You’ve lived here most of your life,” Pike began.

“I was born a weakling child, and would have been abandoned, but my parents sent me to an old friend here on Earth when I was weeks old. She made sure the necessary alterations to my appearance were made. I had my Starfleet physical done off-world…”

“Son,” Pike’s voice was gentle. “This will not go past us and the Admiralty, but we really need this information so if you become sick or injured, we can treat you accordingly. Fortunately, one of our ship’s doctors has knowledge of your anatomy.” The boy looked up, “You won’t be able to be blackmailed from this end anyway. Jim, next time your around the Neutral Zone, see if you can’t pick up his family.” Kirk nodded. The boy was dismissed and hurried away.

Pike sighed as Kirk looked at him, “You’re not going to be able to protect him if this comes out.” Kirk said.

“I know, that’s why getting his family out is important. I’m so glad we have a Betazoid on campus, it would have been that much harder had she not been here. How do you feel about a ship’s counselor, Jim? I’m thinking about putting her on the Enterprise when she graduates in May.” 

“Chris, let me think about it. I’m not sure how I feel about having someone who can read my thoughts on my crew without touching me first.” Pike nodded, but knew he’d get his way. Enterprise could use a ship’s counselor.


	19. Mysterious Vulcan from Tarsus IV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suggested by AlbusSPotter, Sarek comes to talk to Kirk about Spock’s lack of friends and just who that Vulcan was on Tarsus IV. Don’t own any of them.

There was a knock on Jim’s apartment door. “Enter,” he called absently. Maybe he should think twice about that, the thought crossed his mind. You never know when that might be a reporter. It wasn’t, Ambassador Sarek stood outside with two young Vulcans. Jim stopped wiping dishes as he stared, “T’Mera, Sedork?” All the Vulcans entered and spared a passing glance at the spare surroundings. Sarek stopped as his companions approached Jim.

He stood there impassively, not quite sure as to what to do. Finally, they reached out and touched him. They weren’t part of the Tarsus 9, they never actually saw Kodos, but they were still victims. Their parents died in the square that night, and they starved along with the rest of the children. When the nights grew cold, Jim had made sure that they were pushed to the center of the mass of children huddled together for warmth. “You really are alive,” T’Mera finally whispered. She reached forward and kissed him on the cheek. Even Sarek looked surprised, as intimate as it was for humans, it was even more so for Vulcans. It named him brother.

T’Mera and Sedork had survived the destruction of Vulcan by the simple expedient of having not been on Vulcan. The Vulcan Science Academy had taken a field trip to Alpha Centauri to show the wonders of an aquatic world. Most of the students and faculty had taken that trip, and had to wait as Spock Prime found a suitable world to colonize. It was hard work, building a new world, but they didn’t mind. Jim found himself ushering them to the dining room table, and they sat around, talking. T’Mera was studying to be a healer on the new Mt. Seleya. Sedork had married and had a young son

Jim suddenly looked up at Sarek, “You were the Vulcan who rescued me.”

Sarek nodded, “T’Mera, Sedork and their parents were cousins. I was sent to help bring them home and help in the rescue efforts. The only reason the children came out of hiding was because I am Vulcan. Understandably, they did not trust humans.” Eventually, the younger Vulcans left, promising to keep in touch.

“They’re remarkable, Sarek. I’m touched they thought so much of me to come. Thank you, Sarek, I would probably have died if you hadn’t shown up when you did. I owe you my life twice over, now.”

“Spock,” Sarek responded. “He never really had friends. He grew up an outsider because he is half-human.”

“Was he bullied?” Kirk asked.

“Yes, one day, he even retaliated, beating one of the boy up even though the other boy was much bigger than he. It was then he questioned why I married Amanda.” Sarek’s eyes grew distant as he remembered his wife. “You are probably the first male friend he has ever had. He always got along well with women, of any species. His attachment to Uhura is gratifying.”

“He told me he went berserk when I died,” Kirk said.

“How much do you remember?” Sarek asked.

That was a troubling question. He remembered putting his hand up on the glass wall, smiling, and then everything went black. “I don’t remember being dead. I remember hearing voices and drifting in a sea of blackness. I remember you and Spock Prime trying to reach me. That was my first inkling that I wasn’t dead. It’s all a haze, Sarek. None of it seemed real.”

“What about Tarsus?” Sarek asked.

A different pain flickered across Kirk’s face, “I was determined to keep everyone alive, it didn’t matter whether or not they were human. Everyone who lived was giving Kodos a black eye. So many dead and nothing that could be done to save them.” Jim’s blue eyes seemed lost in the not so distant past.

“I tried to find you after we’d gathered the children together. They’d already transported you to a ship headed for Earth,” Sarek said. He was quietly unhappy about that whole thing. “Then, you disappeared.”

“Well, the only name anyone really knew for me was as JT. I did a lot of things after leaving Tarsus IV, including getting arrested.” Jim reached over and picked up his PADD. “Ambassador, during my misspent youth, I worked on a project that was a grain designed to resist most famine and other natural occurrences that produces famine. I started it on Tarsus IV before the famine. I don’t want credit, I don’t need the money. I was wondering if it could be released through the Vulcan Science Academy. People would benefit from this research.”

“Quadritritocale,” Sarek mused. He looked over the specifications of the plant and nodded his head, “Yes, I think it’s possible to manage what you want. Are you sure you don’t want any proceeds? This could make very wealthy.”

“I want the proceeds to go into a fund. First, one for Joanna McCoy, for her college if she doesn’t want to go into Starfleet. The second one, a secret, in case I have any children. You never know,” he said with a grin. “The last to go to the fund for a memorial to the Tarsus IV tragedy. I don’t want this to happen again. Those who do not remember history are doomed to repeat it.”

“That was a wise human who said that,” Sarek replied. “I’ll keep you updated on the progress. This will take a little while before it becomes a reality. Thank you, Jim. For my son’s and cousins’ lives. Live Long and Prosper.” 

Jim smiled, “Peace and Long Life, Sarek.”


	20. And the Captain Walks into a Bar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bones suddenly has two patients to deal with in the first part of this story, and the second part, well, Jim, for some reason, still doesn’t realize he’s pretty tall. So, I turn on MeTV, and what do I find? Star Trek, and what episode, Space Seed. Wow, they’re reading my mind! lol Don’t own them.

Chekov was many things. Young, smart, cute, with an adorable accent, he just wasn’t particularly coordinated today. He fell, not once, not twice, but three times walking across the quad from the Academy to the building holding the Administrative staff for Starfleet and the Federation. The first time he sprained his little finger on his right hand. The second time he broke his hand. The third time, on the steps of the Admin building, he broke his leg. Okay, today, he was a klutz.

McCoy was surprised when Admiral Komack called him, “Dr. McCoy, I wouldn’t normally call you about another patient, but he’s one of yours.” McCoy could clearly hear Russian being screamed over Komack’s comm. “We’re transporting Chekov to you via transporter. Medical is still not repaired here, and we kinda figure you’d rather take care of him yourself.”  
McCoy looked at Jim who was behaving himself by watching television. “Alright, I’ll meet him down in the ER,” McCoy replied. McCoy looked up at Jim, “Behave and you’ll have a roommate, Jim.”

Jim’s eyes lit up, “Who?”

“You’ll find out soon enough,” McCoy replied.

When McCoy returned with Chekov, Jim was missing. One of the nurses told him that Dr. Marcus had stolen him for some time out on the balcony. Chekov was sedated. His finger, arm, and leg all in braces. He wouldn’t be here for more than a few days, but it would allow him to be fussed over, and take Jim’s mind off what he was going through. It was a light sedation, Chekov didn’t have the pain tolerances that Kirk did, and even the pain medicine they had given him hadn’t relieved the pain. The Medic on duty finally jabbed him with the sedative so that she could determine his injuries. McCoy didn’t entirely blame her.

Jim returned as McCoy was discussing Chekov’s care with an Orthopedic Specialist. Kirk waited until McCoy was done, “What happened, Bones?”

“Pavel Chekov proved to be especially clumsy today. He fell three times crossing from one building to another, and he wasn’t even drunk.” Jim laughed as he maneuvered back into his bed. Chekov started to come around.

“Am I dead?” he mumbled.

“No, Pavel, but you’re staying with me for a little while,” Jim chuckled. “Nice job, by the way. Give Bones a little challenge since I haven’t done anything spectacular in a while, you’re his newest pet!” McCoy shook his head as Chekov groaned.

Perhaps it was the three months he’d already spent here, but Kirk was positively cheerful as dinner was served. Unfortunately, since it was the finger on his right hand that was sprained and his left arm that was broken, Chekov ended up having his food cut into small pieces for him so he could eat it easily. Jim, on the other hand, merrily dug into his food with both hands fully functional. For some reason he took great satisfaction that he wasn’t the worst hurt in the room. Chekov looked disgruntled, he was young enough to be embarrassed by the whole situation. When his friends came to see him, they did try to cheer him up.

“Look at the bright side,” Sulu told him, “you’ll be out of here before the Captain!” That earned Sulu a pillow to the back of his head. Jim had good aim. The next day McCoy took Chekov in to have his finger and arm treated. It was painful, and Chekov passed out. McCoy again shook his head, maybe he was a little TOO used to Jim’s pain tolerances. At least Chekov was now able to cut his own food. McCoy began to rethink the room policy when the nurses called him complaining about wheelchair races down the halls. Jim again, he could get up to just about anything. The only good thing was Chekov was now laughing.

McCoy just knocked Chekov out the next day so he could fix his leg. Chekov stayed three more days in the hospital and managed to get the message when Admiral Archer sent Jim the following text, in song format, “Star Trekking round the Universe, always going forward ‘cause we can’t find reverse.”*

Kirk walks into a bar

The first thing that Spock Prime noticed about this Jim Kirk, after finding him sprawled on the ground, was his height. Spock was not actually used to looking Jim in the eye, but this Jim looked right at him as Spock gave him a hand up. At six feet, he wasn’t unusually tall. Both Spock and McCoy were slightly taller than he, but he was tall enough that he had to kneel down to reach some Ambassadors levels. There were times he just sent Keenser in to do the work.

Vulcans and humans were often tall enough that this wasn’t required, but there were times that he misjudged his height. The first noticed by more than a few was on the shuttle from Riverside to San Francisco when he walked right into a low hanging bar. More than a few cadets winced at the sound of his head striking metal.

McCoy had learned early on just how tall he was and compensated accordingly. Jim, in Spock Prime thought was a holdover from his previous, shorter life, couldn’t quite seem to figure it out. He often forgot to duck. Uhura often found herself putting up signs in low hanging doorways, “Captain, DUCK!”

The most surprising thing was that he was taller than his brother by six inches. When Sam ran away from home, he was taller than Jim. By the time they met up again, and Jim was standing, Jim was looking down at Sam. “Well, my little brother ain’t so little anymore!” Sam exclaimed with a laugh.

When Spock, Kirk, and McCoy were standing next to each other, it gave people pause before they approached them. Especially when they were with the women in their lives, who were a lot shorter than they were. Although Joanna had an excuse, she was only five after all. After their first kiss, Jim had been less reluctant to show her affection, but allowed her to set the pace of how things would go. She was very grateful that he never pressured her into anything she didn’t want to do.

One day, Carol and Uhura looked over at the men and found Spock Prime and Saavik standing with them. Saavik wasn’t much shorter than the guys and quietly blended in until Carol and Uhura dragged her off. “Why are we so interested in men that tall, anyway?” Carol asked.

“Why not?” Uhura answered with a laugh. “At least they can see what’s going on in a crowd!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Dr. Dementor strikes again!!!


	21. Doodling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scotty’s doodling again. This time, it’s a future Enterprise. One that’s many, many years from being built, but he can dream, can’t he? Don’t own them.

Scotty was in the Rec Room, and he was doodling. His doodling occasionally brought out some insanely crazy ideas, the last time he doodled, he redesigned the replicators to spit out half decent coffee. Another time he doodled, McCoy ended up with a fork stuck up his nose. It wasn’t Kirk’s fault that time, he was on-duty on the bridge, nowhere near the dishwasher when it…oh, never mind. Yet another time he doodled, Admiral Archer’s dog disappeared.

This time his doodling was a fresh new looking starship that he dubbed “Enterprise”. It was a thing of beauty. The sleek saucer section sloped downwards into a semi-flat surface that rose gracefully into its warp nacelles. The nacelles weren’t set up high from the back to give it better propulsion. It was also five times the size of the current Enterprise. Further sketches showed the saucer section separating from the rest of the ship. “Why would you need to do that?” Kirk asked.

“Tis a long range vessel, Jim. She’ll be taking families wi’ her! When in a dire situation, the families and most of the crew will go into the saucer section where it separates and the remaining section is commanded from a battle bridge. A skeleton crew can run this second part, allowing the saucer section to get away while the rest o’ the ship turns to fight whatever menace it faces!”

Kirk shook his head but watched as a shuttle bay came to life. It was enormous, “Wait, a force field that allows shuttles to enter and exit with people in the bay and not having to leave!”

“Tis possible, Captain, just not wi’ our current technology.” He flipped to another page, “This, ah this, tis a thing o’ beauty. Tis the holodeck!” He laid out the plans in front of them deck-by-deck. Classrooms, an arboretum, transporter room, a Sickbay McCoy would drool over, and the engine room, “Allows them to run simulations and close off compartments as needed.” He turned over the sketchpad to reveal the bridge. This one was horseshoe shaped. Science and Engineering in the back, tactical built into a long wooden rail that sloped down to the ground where three seats sat in front. “The middle seat is the Captain’s, to his left would be his First Officer’s, and to his right, whoever needs to sit there.”

Scotty could already see Jim drooling. “Warp 9.5 maximum sustained speed?”

“Aye, we’d need a better matrix than the dilithium crystals, though. They’re far too fragile,” Scotty continued to wax enthusiastic about the design for the rest of the day.

Eighty years later, USS Enterprise NCC 1701-D

Kirk and McCoy stood on the bridge of the Enterprise. They looked around, seeing Scotty’s vision come to life. Although the Klingon staring at them was a little disconcerting. “I still say Scotty should have come with us,” Bones muttered. Jim laughed as he ran his hands over the Engineering console. A man with gold-tinted skin and yellow eyes escorted them into the turbolift. He showed them Sickbay, Engineering, and even the Holodeck.

“She’s a good looking ship, Mr. Data,” McCoy commented. “Got the right name, Enterprise.” Kirk agreed, even after learning Data was an android. He silently wondered how he would learn and grow. “Treat her like a lady, and she’ll always bring you home.”


	22. New Vulcan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew stop by New Vulcan during their five year mission and Kirk has a talk with Spock Prime about “universe ending paradoxes”. Suggested by HappytheExceed. Don’t own them.

Oh, it was hot. They’d fled a hot and arid planet that became a black hole only to find another hot and arid planet with an equally thin atmosphere. Jim tugged on the collar of his gold shirt uncomfortably. Fortunately, he’d obeyed McCoy’s not so subtle hints about using a triox compound before going down the surface. Spock and Uhura were visiting Sarek. Many crew members were out touring the planet and the settlement. It was nice to visit a planet whose inhabitants weren’t hostile, cool, but not hostile.

Saavik opened the door and looked at him coolly, nodding her head. Her eyes held a warmth that bespoke recognition and friendship. She nodded and bade him enter. He followed her through to the living area where she offered him water and her husband, Spock, joined them. “Universe ending paradoxes?” Jim asked. Spock looked at him, “You lied.”

“I…exaggerated,” he replied.

“You lied,” Saavik said shaking her head. “You’ve done it before.”

Kirk looked at her in surprise, “He has?”

“I told you once that you can’t spend a century or more with another species without picking up some of their habits. I’m not afraid of admitting I’ve lied, but then again, I am half-Romulan.”

Spock actually chuckled, it was a dry sound, something he was obviously unused to doing, “Alright, I lied, at least twice. Betazoids are probably the only species actually incapable of lying. Being full telepaths makes that hard to hold up. Vulcans, on the other hand, are only touch telepaths. We cannot actually tell when someone tells an untruth unless we touch them. You, Jim, have the ability to tell a lie rather quickly. You even have the best poker face available. Only a Betazoid can read you, and no one actually invites them to that party.” Jim chuckled. He could see why he became friends with the man.

“Spock, thank you, every time we meet, I see the man I could come to admire and like,” he paused. “When we met you said ‘I have been, and always shall be your friend’. That has come to mean more and more as the days and months pass. Thank you, my friend. Live Long and Prosper.”

“Peace and Long Life, my friend,” Saavik leaned her head on her husband’s shoulder and saw an echo of a previous life.


	23. Jim in Sickbay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suggested by 1nvisible, Jim gets sick, and when Jim gets sick, which doesn’t happen very often, he REALLY gets sick. Don’t own any of them.

Spock turned as he heard an explosive sneeze sound from the other side of Sickbay. The man was clearly suffering, and there wasn’t really anything anybody could do about it, “How is he, Doctor?”

“How do dink I ab, Spock?” Jim asked, trying to sound sarcastic. He fell way short eliciting a laugh from the nurses.

“Well, Spock, he has the flu,” McCoy said.

“I thought he was inoculated against it,” Spock replied.

“So was everyone else on board, Spock. Unfortunately, what he was inoculated for and what he got are two different thing. They winced as another sneeze reverberated through the room. McCoy sighed, “I’ve put up and isolation field so that no one else is infected. I hate viruses, I don’t care how advanced our medicine is, they’re difficult to get rid of.” They watched sympathetically as Kirk rolled over onto his side and tried to get some sleep. “I’m getting him his own room as soon as M’Benga comes out of surgery. He can’t get well if he can’t sleep, and he can’t sleep with it as bright as it is in here.”

“What about the rest of the crew?” Spock asked.

McCoy sighed, “Jim came in as soon as he started coughing and running a fever. Smartest thing I can remember him doing in a while.” A loud sniffle could be heard. “Just post a warning, especially to the human members of the crew, if someone suffers so much as a sneeze, they need to come see me.” Spock watched as M’Benga soon exited surgery with a crewmember who had suffered a bout of appendicitis, and they conferred. Afterwards, they convinced Jim to stand up and helped guide him to his own room. Spock soon left.

Spock found himself in the Officer’s Mess talking to Christopher Pike. “How is he?”

“Very sick, McCoy is worried, and Jim sounds like he has a speech impediment, which is probably due to his stuffy nose.” Spock rose an eyebrow as a short burst of laughter issued forth from the admiral, “This is not a laughing matter.”

“He’ll be better in about a week. That’s usually how long it takes to get over the flu,” Pike said with a cheerful smile. “That means you’re in command, Spock. How does it feel?” Spock really didn’t know how to answer that. “As Kirk’s first officer, the chain-of-command did fall to him, but Pike was technically higher ranking. “No, Spock, I won’t take command unless there’s no one else to do it. It’s time others took the Captain’s chair for some shifts. M’Benga’s command qualified.” Spock raised an eyebrow, he was not aware of the Doctor’s qualifications, “He took the Bridge Officer’s Test a few years ago. I gave it to him, that’s how I know. Put him on the roster and just let McCoy know.”

McCoy blinked at the notice on his PADD, “Geoff,” M’Benga’s head popped out of Kirk’s room, “you’ve been put on bridge duty, Beta Shift today.” M’Benga nodded his head before looking at the clock. “I didn’t know you’re command rated.”

M’Benga grinned, “I took the Bridge Officer’s Test three years ago. Made my hair stand on end, but Pike passed me. It’ll be good to take command again. If only for eight hours.” McCoy blinked, he had never even heard of the Bridge Officer’s Test.

“What is this test?” McCoy asked.

“It’s a test given to those who weren’t command track officers in the Academy. It gives real life scenarios, none of them no-win scenarios, I might add. They don’t actually want to scare people away from taking the test.” M’Benga grinned as he walked to his desk to write his notes up for the various patients currently in Sickbay.

McCoy walked into Jim’s room, the lights were dim, but he could hear Jim sigh, “Whad is id, Bodes?” Kirk asked. McCoy winced, Jim really did sound awful.

“Geoff, how is it he’s command rated?” McCoy asked irritably.

“He dook the sdeps to do id,” Kirk responded. “He asked Pike, and Pike gabe him de desd.”

“I’ll be back to check on you later,” McCoy responded. He left Jim to sleep as he pondered why one of his doctors could do this thing and he wouldn’t

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this tale is being told in “Bridge Officer’s Test”, so I’m not going to go back over it. I’m breaking this up so people can put their feedback here (insert reviews here)! lol


	24. Cerberus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No, this isn’t about Joanna’s time on Cerberus, it’s about the aftermath. McCoy’s desperately needing to help his little girl and turns to the two people who can help her. They stop by New Vulcan to pick up a third who also understands. Don’t own them.

McCoy watched as Joanna disconsolately picked at her food. She was slowly gaining back the weight she’d lost during the famine, but it was an uphill fight, and she didn’t want to go back to her mother. She wanted to stay on the Enterprise. Heartbroken, Jocelyn had given McCoy custody of the girl and withdrew. She blamed herself for what happened to Jo, and McCoy was in no mood to forgive her, neither was their daughter.  
McCoy watched as she cut her food into small portions and slowly ate her way through it. She had to be reminded to eat, and she had to be reminded that she didn’t need to hide her food, no one was going to take it away from her. She had hidden in dark corners and closets for close to three weeks before feeling secure enough to come out and eat with her father. McCoy was desperate. He turned to Kirk and Spock for help. “Jim, you know what she’s going through, can you help?”

Jim nodded, “I think, maybe, we should stop by New Vulcan, there’s someone else who exhibited this behavior until recently, and she’s more Jo’s age.” Spock nodded his approval as they set out to plan. 

Jo sat in the Officer’s Mess, trying to eat again, as she heard a familiar voice, “Hey, Jo, mind if we join you?” She glanced up, startled to find Uncle Jim, Kevin Riley, a Vulcan girl she didn’t recognize. The girl looked to be her own age. Jo nodded. “Good,” Jim said plopping down into the seat next to her, “I don’t know about you, but I don’t like eating standing up.” Joanna gave a small, tight smile. “Jo, this is Saavik. She’s a friend of your Uncle Spock and Uncle Sarek.” Saavik nodded at Jo.

Jo spent long minutes eating her food when she suddenly noticed that all three of her companions exhibited similar habits. They cut their food into small bites, then chewed very slowly before swallowing. They also wore watches around their left wrists. “How…why are you copying me?” Jo asked stricken.

Jim sighed, “Jo, you’ve studied history, right.” Jo nodded, “Remember the bit about Tarsus IV?” Jo stared at her Uncle Jim, “Kev and I are survivors of Tarsus IV. In fact, Kev is a member of the Tarsus 9.” Kirk conveniently omitted that so was he, but he didn’t feel she needed to know that right now. “While Saavik’s ordeal was different, she also suffered from starvation.”

“I was born on Hellguard,” Saavik said. “I am half-Vulcan and half-Romulan. We were the results of a failed experiment and were abandoned as children to fend for ourselves. Hellguard is not a good planet to grow up, and it was hard to find and keep food.” Saavik said it simply, absently pushing a stray curl behind a pointed ear.

“You mean someone deliberately let you starve?” Jo blurted out.

“Worse, Jo, Kevin, our families, and I were on Kodos’ extermination list. We should have died. Kev was in the square and can identify Kodos if he was ever found.” Kevin glanced at him quizzically, Kirk shook his head. “If it weren’t for the brave actions of one boy, JT, we would all have died.”

“Did JT die?” Jo asked.

“No,” Kevin answered. “He’s still alive. He wishes to remain anonymous, fearing retaliation if Kodos is found. Kodos was very angry at him for successfully managing to keep us alive. There were thirty of us who finally walked out alive. Thirty children for the four thousand sentenced to die.”

Jo sat, deep in thought, “Does it get easier?” she finally asked.

“You know that point when you were so hungry you finally stopped feeling that hunger?” Jim asked. Jo nodded, “It’s kind of like that. It’s not really easier, you just get used to it. We spent so long fighting to stay alive that we didn’t know how to stop. It took a Vulcan, Ambassador Sarek as a matter of fact, to get us to come out and trust the Starfleet personnel who were with him. All we knew was that humans had tried to hurt us, and he wasn’t human.”

“He was so very gentle with us. He had cousins on Tarsus IV, you see, he wanted to see to their safety and well-being. JT saved their children as well,” Kevin said. Jo blanched at the thought that even aliens weren’t safe from Kodos' reign of terror.

“Anyway, Jo,” Kirk continued, “you see these watches we’re all sporting?” Jo nodded. “Mr. Scott and Mr. Spock made these especially for us. They go off at specific intervals to remind us to eat. Because we do forget to eat, and I fear, so will you.” He handed Jo another watch. She swallowed and slipped it on, thanking her Uncle Jim as she did. They continued to eat, taking the better part of the lunch hour to finish. She later talked to Saavik about her experiences. The young Vulcan assured her hiding her food was normal, and it would get easier, just give it time. Saavik left her a number where she could be reached if she wanted to talk. Jo knew she’d made a strange, new friend. She also appreciated that she was no longer alone.

Years Later…

Jo watched as Saavik held young Sopher in her arms. Named for the late Christopher Pike, the baby had a calm disposition, and was beautiful beyond words. Jo and Saavik had remained in touch over the years, and Saavik had attended her wedding, and sent presents on the births of her four children. While Jo had been there for Saavik’s betrothal with her father, the wedding had been so abrupt that she hadn’t made it.  
Babies had their own agenda, Jo knew. Saavik looked up and nodded before handing the infant off to Jo. Jo smiled at the sleeping baby, it had been years since even her grandchildren had been this small. She had promised each of them that they wouldn’t have to suffer what happened to her and her Uncle Jim many years ago. She looked up across the family living room as her father and Uncle Jim got into yet another squabble.

“Some things never change,” Saavik said with understanding. Jo nodded, this was the perfect ending to a perfect day.


	25. Enterprise's Two Dads

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joanna McCoy and Demora Sulu meet, and the crew of the Enterprise meet Sulu’s daughter. Need something a little more light-hearted after “Race for Sickbay”. Set during “A Long Road”, so Pike isn’t alive. Don’t own them.

Uhura looked across the Academy’s campus to see Kirk wheeling his way across the lawn. She shook her head, he’d worn himself out again, otherwise he’d be walking. Soon, she realized that a little girl sat in his lap as he talked to her. She got closer, wondering when Joanna had returned when she realized that this wasn’t Jo. She stopped and smiled, “Well, who is this? Are you being kidnapped as a babysitter again, Jim?”  
The little girl, who looked to be about Jo’s age, grinned up at Uhura, “Nyota, this is Demora Sulu. Hikaru and his ex have some things to discuss, and asked me to look after her. We’re on our way to see Bones, who has Jo, today. Joce is in town. Would you like to join us?”

Demora nodded at Uhura, “Alright, it’ll be good to see Jo again.” She walked with Jim as Demora started talking. She was just as outgoing as her father and happy to make friends. They collected people on their way to Starfleet Medical. Chekov, having met Demora before when he and Sulu were roommates in their Academy years, the little girl held out her arms and gave Uncle Pasha a hug. 

Scotty joined them and was surprised, “Is nae Sulu…” he trailed off.

Jim nodded, “He got married young, it was what was expected. His ex was the one who suggested that he didn’t like women like that. They’ve remained friends, and Demora lives here in San Francisco, don’t you, Sweetheart?”

“Yes, Uncle Jim,” she answered. Spock was the last to join them having been looking for Uhura. 

They arrived at McCoy’s office where McCoy looked up from playing with Jo to find the welcome distraction. Jo looked at Demora curiously before getting up and walking over to her, “Hi, my name is Jo. What’s yours?”

“Demora,” the other little girl replied.

“Wanna play?” Demora grinned at Jo’s question and scampered off Jim’s lap and over to a corner where they played a game that they seemed to be making up as they went along.

McCoy looked up at the rest with a raised eyebrow, “Sulu’s little girl,” Jim replied. He watched as Jo displayed social skills that he often lacked. “I’m here for that check-up,” Jim said. “I seem to be everybody’s favorite babysitter.”

McCoy grabbed his equipment and attached a sensor to Kirk’s head while running a tricorder over the rest of Jim’s body. “Still going to Physical Therapy?” he asked. He knew the answer to that. He received weekly reports on Jim’s progress. Jim nodded. “Well, at least you’re learning to listen to your body now,” McCoy commented. “You’re progressing steadily, Jim, and I believe you’ll be more than ready to set out when the Enterprise is ready.”

Kirk sighed in relief, “That’s good to know.”

McCoy smiled at his younger friend, “Hey, we want you on that ship as much as you want to be there. We’ve still got three months to go. I think you’ll be ready well before the Enterprise is.” He looked up to find Sulu standing in the doorway smiling at the girls. 

“Daddy!” Demora squealed and ran over to Hikaru.

Sulu laughed, “You’d think she hadn’t seen me a couple of hours ago!” He scooped her up. Jo walked over to her own father who picked her up. McCoy was taller than Sulu, but that didn’t stop the girls from grinning at each other.

“Okay,” Jim announced. “I need to take a picture of this. Get together you two. Enterprise’s two dads!” Jim picked up his PADD and snapped a couple of shots. He sent the pictures to Sulu, McCoy and their exes. Later, he received thank yous from both women. When the Enterprise set out on her five year mission, many pictures of families left behind decorated both the lounge and the rec room. This one was printed out large and prominently displayed so everyone walking into the lounge as Sulu’s and McCoy’s smiles lit up the room.


	26. Entrance Exam II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suggested by ans90jas10. Pike’s heard about it, Spock and Sarek know about it, now Starfleet Command is hearing about it. Don’t own them.

“HE DID WHAT?!” could be heard from Admiral Barnett’s office. This had to be the craziest thing he’d heard Jim Kirk ever doing in his life.

Archer nodded his head, “He passed the Entrance Exam to the Vulcan Science Academy.”

For one of the many times since Kirk entered the Academy, Barnett was left speechless, “How? Who?”

“Sarek, as an ‘experiment’, administered the test, and Kirk passed it, in Vulcan,” Archer said.

A slow grin scrawled over Barnett’s face, “I bet the Vulcan High Command was astounded.”

“That’s one way of putting it,” Archer replied with a grin. “Want to go see him?”

Jim, when they entered, was watching a movie and eating popcorn. He looked up to see the two Admirals enter his room, and he eyed them speculatively. “What brings you to my neck of the woods?” Jim asked. “I haven’t been able to get into trouble since I moved into this hospital.”

“Kirk, with you, trouble is never far behind,” Barnett replied with a snort. “So, about Vulcan, is there something you want to tell us?”

“Is that a not so subtle hint that you know about my getting into the VSA?” Jim asked. Archer cackled while Barnett started laughing, “Oh, geez, Old Man Murphy strikes again!” Archer and Barnett laughed even harder. Jim proceeded to tell them about the exam, including the first question.

Archer shook his head, “I wouldn’t even have done half so well. Well, congratulations, Jim, we’re going to have find some way of getting you over there to attend. Maybe after your five year mission, they’ll have plenty of time to have rebuilt it by then.” Jim sighed, resignedly. “You really are too smart for your own good!” Jim sighed, it really had been a challenge, but, maybe he should have fudged on that test. Too late now…


	27. Kirk and the Neurology Students

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takes place during Two Weeks of Hell, which means Pike isn’t alive, sorry. Dr. Brad Bateman, the neurologist, has pestered McCoy into letting his neurology students watch as Kirk slowly comes out of the coma. That means letting them visit every day, and some of their reactions to what Jim does actually make McCoy smile. No one ever said his best friend was normal! lol Don’t own any of them.

McCoy shook his head, he wasn’t sure what any of them were in for, but Dr. Bateman had asked oh so nicely. He had seven neurology students coming through the Starfleet Academy, and, since much of that hospital now lay in ruins, he was wafting them through Zurich to study some of the patients in the ICU. Kirk, miracle man still alive, was on the top of his list.

“Alright, everybody, the last patient we’re going to see today, and the one on whom you’ll right a case study at the end of the semester, is Captain James Tiberius Kirk, USS Enterprise. He is currently in an induced coma after having died going into the warp core chamber of aforementioned ship. The drug McCoy injected him with is experimental, and what will be done with it will be determined at a later date. In spite of all that, we expect him to come out of the coma fully intact. Dr. McCoy is slowly backing off the medication every day, and he will begin to respond to his environment as the days go on until he wakes up.”

Bateman pulled out his PADD, “If you look at your PADD you will find his brain scans from when he was admitted to the hospital. He was on full life support. He’s currently on no life support, and has stopped trying to die. That doesn’t mean he looks good, he’s very ill, so be prepared when we enter the room.” As they entered the students weren’t totally prepared for it. Jim was just out of surgery and his arm was in a mobilizer. He was still a light yellow color, but some of his obvious wounds hadn’t quite healed.

“I want you to direct your attention to the monitor at his bedside. As you can see, his neurological scans have improved considerably since he first came here,” they all nodded, obediently. McCoy, sitting in the chair to Jim’s right writing notes in Jim’s chart, barely contains a snort. He had an idea of where Brad was taking this, but Jim was the one who’d make this interesting. He watched as the students asked questions, and even answered a few himself, and they left. Brad reentered the room, “So, what do you think?”

“I think we’ll be lucky if Jim doesn’t ‘accidentally grope’ one of the girls,” McCoy said with a laugh. Jim’s little finger twitched, “Huh, he’s letting us know he’s in there already.” Bateman shook his head and left the room. 

The next day they all trouped in to the room and dutifully noticed the pick-up of brain activity as the Captain crept closer to consciousness. They also noticed the splint had been removed from his arm. “Tomorrow, Kirk will be going in for another surgery to repair internal damage not caused by the radiation. So, we’ll be visiting in the afternoon instead of the morning. They all watched as Jim’s entire arm twitched in the general direction of Dr. Bateman’s voice.

“Can he hear us?” one of the girls asked.

McCoy laughed, “This is what we meant about him responding to his environment. Jim’s unpredictable, I honestly know what he’ll do during the course of the week.” Jim’s arm twitched again. They laughed, nervously. This man was already a legend and a hero. Nobody told them that he liked the ladies. As the week went on they watched as Jim’s head started turning to their voices. On the twelfth day, there was a definite whack as one of the women walked by. She turned around looking for whoever the culprit was who slapped her ass, and only found Kirk, still lying in the bed, all offending appendages lying docilely on the mattress. McCoy managed to wait until the lady left the room before he sat down and started laughing. “Jim, some things never change,” he said breathlessly.

The day before Jim awoke one of the students stayed behind, “Dr. McCoy, may I ask you something?” McCoy nodded his head. “What’s so special about Captain Kirk? What made you and everyone else on the Enterprise go to such extraordinary lengths to save his life?”

“Are you also a Psychiatry student?” the girl nodded. They both watched as Jim reached out an arm and grasped McCoy’s arm briefly. McCoy sighed, “He’s charming, good looking, and has this boyish personality that wants to make you protect him. What is it? When he’s your friend, he’s got your back. He begged for the lives of his crew while facing Admiral Asshole, then he turned around and apologized when he realized that it wouldn’t work. He alienated his chief engineer, only to call on Scotty and ask him to go to some coordinates. If he hadn’t, well, we’d all be dead now, and Admiral Marcus would have his war. What inspires that kind of loyalty, I don’t know. Maybe you should ask Jim when he wakes up. Although, you actually might want to start with the rest of his crew. Jim’s not going to be up for long interviews.” She nodded as she left the room. McCoy knew that this wasn’t over, she’d be back.


	28. Classes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kirk needs to talk to someone about some classes he’s been scheduled for. Don’t own any of them.

McCoy looked at Kirk completely baffled, “What do you mean, you don’t need these classes? Every first year cadet has to take them!”

Kirk sighed, “They’re Introduction to Physics and Introduction to Engineering, I could do both classes without ever showing up.”

“Would you care to enlighten me as to why?” McCoy asked, sarcastically.

“I have Masters Degrees from the University of Moscow in both Theoretical Physics and Engineering. Does it sound like I need an introductory course in both subjects?” Kirk asked, equally sarcastic.

McCoy stopped, dumbfounded, “Well, we could start a study group.” Kirk stopped and looked at his new roommate, and then started laughing, he couldn’t help it, but still went to the guidance counselors at the Academy.

“I’m sure you think you know about these subjects, _Cadet_ , but I assure you, these classes are completely different,” Counselor Boehner drawled.

“Counselor, I saw the first chapter. My Master’s Thesis is more in depth than this, not that you’d understand it if you read it. I don’t need these classes.”

“They’re just science and engineering, Cadet, nothing important. Take them, you’ll find them challenging.” The man was so condescending that Jim wanted to stick his foot up his ass. _How_ could science and engineering not be important, especially in _Starfleet_!

The first day of classes and Jim and Bones found themselves in the Physics class. Bones had heard horror stories about the instructor and had devoured the first five chapters of the book over the weekend. Jim hadn’t even touched them, instead, concentrating on Introduction to Tactics. “Good morning, class, I’m Commander Ilch, I’m your instructor for this class.” She went through the syllabus and what was expected of them. Finally, she looked up, “Okay, let’s see how many of you have actually looked at the book,” she fired the first question at McCoy, whose mind went blank. He had read it just the day before and couldn’t remember a damn thing.

Ilch kept throwing questions at various people who also looked at her with horror filled expressions. Finally, she landed on Kirk, who looked bored. “Cadet Kirk, can you answer the question?” Jim did, he also expounded on the subject matter at hand, gave four different theories on the matter, and closed his mouth. Ilch looked at him, “Cadet, see me after class.”

Curious, McCoy hung around after class, “Cadet, what are you doing in my class?”

“Professor, I tried to get out of it, I really did, but Counselor Boehner felt it best that I attend,” and Jim proceeded to tell her his qualifications in this arena.

Ilch’s mouth hit the floor, “I’m going to check up on your qualifications, meanwhile, could you help some of the other students catch up on what they need to know?”

Jim agreed. A very similar scene played out in Engineering. Professor Deblu watched as Kirk explained exactly why intership transport was not safely possible at this time. Their talk after class almost exactly mirrored the one outside of Physics. Jim finally left both classes and trudged after McCoy, their next class was Ethics, the last one they had together, and that opened with Tarsus IV. Jim closed his eyes, this was not going to be a very good week.

At the end of the week Jim was called before Admiral Barnett and Captain Pike. The meeting was short and succinct, “Jim, we’re pulling you out of Engineering and Physics, although Ilch would like to keep you as a TA. How do you feel about learning Klingon?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, that Boehner. Certain people have no idea what real science is, and he represents a strong part of the population that is just that clueless. So, I couldn’t resist poking fun at him. Please read and review.


	29. Duel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bones has seen Kirk fight hand-to-hand, and seen just how fast he can move unencumbered. So, he challenges Spock and Kirk to a face off, just to see what Kirk can do in a fair fight, without pesky furniture in the way. Don’t own any of them.

Jim looked at McCoy with a raised eyebrow. Jim swore McCoy had scary eyebrows, but McCoy swore that he had nothing on Jim. “Bones, why am I doing this?”

It had been three years since both epic fights on the bridge over the Narada, and a year since they started their five year mission, and now Bones decided to see what would happen if Kirk and Spock faced off against each other without body armor or furniture in the way. Spock also looked at McCoy questioningly. “Okay, gentlemen, I’ve seen you both fight each other, and other people, but Kirk, I’ve seen you move so fast it would make a Vulcan’s head spin. I’d just like to see what an exercise between the two of you would look like.” Uhura looked at McCoy like he was crazy. Scotty, Sulu and Chekov grinned at each other thinking this would be fun. Keenser scooted around the edges taking bets on who would win.

Jim shook his head. He watched as Spock circled around him, and closed his eyes. Sometimes, during similar exercises at the Academy, he’d do just this, shutting out the rest of the room except his opponent. It helped him focus, and had come in handy on moonless nights on Tarsus IV, survival and all. He heard Spock throw the first punch and blocked it easily with his arm, and waited. A swift move from the other side towards his legs had him dodging out of the way. Peripherally he was aware of the murmuring, but it never broke his concentration. Finally, he opened his eyes and stared Spock down.

The first blow he landed to Spock’s right arm came so quickly that Spock barely had time to react. Spock hadn’t realized just how battle honed Jim’s senses really were. Jim had scored three hits before Spock was able to take stock of what was really going on. They both remained silent as the world narrowed and focused on each other. Spock moved in, his skill and speed hopefully a match for Jim’s own.

McCoy watched as the match continued. Both opponents were fairly equally matched. Kirk had swiftness while Spock had strength. They both would end up with bruises the next day. Neither gave ground as the match continued. Finally, Spock attempted a quick round house kick that had Kirk up in the air landing a foot in the other man’s shoulder causing him to tumble to the ground. Spock never got a chance to apply his superior strength. Jim grinned down at Spock, “Well, that’s the first fight I’ve ever beaten you in.”

“I get the feeling you weren’t even trying the first two times,” Spock responded.

“I didn’t want to hurt you, my friend.”


	30. Up to My Ears in Tribbles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suggested by Silver-Shadowspark, I’m bringing back Trouble, Trib 1 and Trib 2. Don’t own any of them.

Jo sat on the chair, absolutely certain, as certain as any five year old could be, something moved on the floor beneath Uncle Jim’s hospital bed. There it was again. She quietly slipped out of the chair and moved toward the bed. Even as quietly as she moved, the kitten exploded out from under the bed and scampered across the room to hide behind a table.

Jo cocked her head at the tiny cat. Then, she saw it again. Movement again caught her eye. Again, she looked under the bed to find two, small, round furry things that didn’t appear to have any eyes stopped at the edge of the bed. She reached out and touched one with a finger. It cooed at her and rubbed its head? against said finger. She reached out and plucked it out from under the bed. The other fuzzy forgotten. When she petted it, it purred or cooed. When she poked it, it squealed, but mostly it purred.

Jo felt something push against her foot and saw the other fuzzy bumping up against her foot. She reached down and picked it up and then joined a sleeping Uncle Jim in bed. Soon, the cat joined them, all resting comfortably in her lap. McCoy soon joined her, “Daddy,” she asked in her devastating little girl voice, “what are these?”

“Well, the kitten is Trouble, and the two round fuzzy things are Tribbles, Trib 1 and Trib 2. They’re Uncle Chris’ pets,” McCoy answered absently.

“Can I have one, pleeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaase?”


	31. Xenolinguistics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suggested by Lady Cooper. There’s a hot debate going on in the Academy’s cafeteria between Communications track students, and several of the top Xenolinguistics experts are in on it, including Spock, Uhura and Kirk. Sorry about the German jab. I once performed a song in German in choir, if you were unfortunate enough to be on the first row, you got another shower. Don’t own any of them.

“I realize that the Universal Translators are wonderful pieces of technology, but they’re very limited,” one cadet ranted. “You have to open up your communicator and hope to hell that it works!”

“What if it goes down, or there’s an ion storm. This technology is subject to every possible problem out there,” another cadet suggested.

“Well,” Uhura leaned back in her chair. “There’s also the question of dialects. Often, English being an excellent example of it, there are nuances in a language that is only explained by dialects. Different words in the English language often different meanings depending on where you go. In the United States, for instance, a ‘fag’ is a euphemism for someone who is gay, usually male. In England, however, it’s often used to refer to a cigarette.”

“Gay has a double meaning also,” Spock came in. “Gay once meant happy, in the twentieth century it became synonymous with homosexuality.”

“There are species out there whose dialects are so different they should be different languages,” Kirk chimed in. “Romulan, for example, has three dialect. Romulan, the one we’re all familiar with which is and outward stem of Vulcan. Reman, which comes from their sister planet of Remus, and is a variation on Vulcan as well. And Rihannsu, which stems from the language of the native people of Romulus when the Romulans first landed there. It’s considered a dialect, but if you’ve ever listened to it, it might as well be another language.”

“Then there are languages like Klingon. It reminds me of German. If you don’t produce enough spit, you’re not saying it right,” one Andorian female pointed out.

“Oh, don’t forget about the importance of body language,” Spock pointed out. “If you’re not aggressive when speaking in Klingon, you’re considered weak and will be shouted down.”

Admirals Komack and Archer were standing to the side watching this debate, “How did this all start?”

“One of the Klingon scientists that defected wanted to put on a Shakespearean play. Macbeth, in the original ‘Klingon’.”


	32. Rain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well, it’s currently raining outside, so guess where I got this inspiration. Don’t own them.

Spock could never get used to the rain. He came from a desert planet with little in the way of moisture in the atmosphere. He’d never actually seen rain before coming to Earth. His mother had described its wonders, but he couldn’t quite imagine water falling from the sky.

It rained in San Francisco the third day after he arrived at the Academy. Most of the cadets wisely stayed inside, huddled against the sudden downpour, even though it had been predicted since the day before. Spock, instead, walked outside and watched. In only the way of a species that had never witnessed the phenomena he turned his face up towards the sky and let himself be soaked by this newfound sensation. He’d been swimming in parent’s grotto on Vulcan, but this was different. He secretly reveled in it, and subsequently got a cold. His mother had warned him.

Spock went to Georgia with McCoy for a shoreleave, and found a different kind of rain. A soft, spring rain that was refreshing at first, and sticky and humid hours later after it had stopped. McCoy snorted, wondering if he’d stand outside during a hurricane. Hopefully the boy had more sense than that. Jim took him to Iowa where he witnessed nature’s fury, a rare tornado appearing in the cornfields nearby. Spock was struck by the awesome power of that circular cloud as it descended to the earth.

One day, he contacted his older self about rain. Spock just nodded at his younger self, “It never gets old, no matter how many times you see it.


	33. Queens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Although this is inspired by an episode on English castles on PBS, this has nothing to do with, well, reigning monarchs! lol Don’t own it, any of it, darn it.

It was, perhaps, the most peculiar parade of humans Spock had ever witnessed, even in San Francisco, but there he was, watching a bunch of well-dressed women parading down the street. They were also among the biggest, and ugliest human women he had ever seen.

Spock looked over to find peculiar expressions on both Uhura’s and Kirk’s faces, “Are you sure Sulu told us to meet him here?”

Uhura nodded, “Yes, Spock, he said here. If he’s in that mob, I don’t recognize him.” Kirk shook his head.

“Captain, why would he…” then it dawned on him. The reason all these “women” were big and largely ugly, was because they weren’t, well, women. The idea was reinforced as one of them approached them, looking VERY familiar.

“Sulu,” Kirk said. “You look…lovely.” Spock raised an eyebrow, he was, in fact, one of the uglier women.

“Thank you, Captain, but I think Commander Spock would disagree,” Sulu said with a grin.

“Captain, what is the purpose of this display?” Spock asked.

“It dates back to the twentieth century, Spock, when men would deliberately dress up to look like a woman, mostly. They’re commonly known as ‘Drag Queens’,” Jim said with a chuckle.

“Over what do they rule?” Spock asked.

“Excuse me?” Uhura asked.

“Queens rule over nations, what do they rule over,” Spock asked.

Jim opened his mouth, unsure as to how to answer that as Uhura stepped in, “They rule over themselves, and those in their vicinity. They rule a crowd wherever they go.” Spock walked away, apparently satisfied.

“Where in the world did you come up with that?” Jim asked.

“I made it up as I went along.”


	34. Cadets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well, Jim gets his first set of cadets for a training cruise, and they’re more than a handful. Especially the ones who think they can run the ship better than he can. Don’t own any of them.

Jim was going through the roster of the new cadets for the training cruise. Twenty in all, five medical, five Engineering, five helm/weapons, and five command. He sighed as he turned to Admiral Barnett’s visage on the screen. He really wished Admiral Archer was still alive. He was so much more reasonable than Barnett, “Fleet Captain,” Jim always sighed when his new rank was emphasized. “You’ll be responsible for evaluating the Command Cadets.”

Jim looked at him, “Admiral, Bob, I appreciate the trust you’re placing in me for them, but are you sure I’m the right person?”

“Jim, you’re probably aware that I’ve given you the troublemakers, but if anyone can anticipate what they’ll do, it’s you,” Jim laughed. “Good luck.”

They signed off and the door to his office chimed, just in time, “Enter.” He watched as the five marched in and stood stiffly at attention, still in their cadet reds. “Alright, next time you’ll appear in your command golds with the rank of Ensign on your sleeves. You’ve gotten your shift rotations, and where you’ll be serving during the two weeks you’re on the Enterprise.”

“Excuse me, Captain, why do we have to serve in positions in the Engineering and Medical sections,” one of the cadets spoke up. He was promptly elbowed in the ribs before he muttered, “I’m going to be a Captain, not an Engineer.”

“What’s your name, Cadet?” Jim asked.

“Frederick Pine, sir!” was the prompt answer.

“Cadet Pine, are you aware that I’m also addressed as Dr. Kirk?” he quickly shook his head. “I have a doctorate in Engineering and Theoretical Physics, and a Master’s Degree in Computer Science. I’m also a qualified Field Medic. I did all this BEFORE I joined Starfleet. It makes for a well-rounded Captain to know what the other sections do. I also speak five languages, so I could take over Communications if I needed to. Haven’t, my Communications Department is superb. Until Commander Spock decides you are ready, you will not take the command chair unless it’s an emergency. We have two doctors on board and a communications officer who are more qualified for that chair than all of you combined, understood?”

“Yes, sir,” they responded.

“Now, everyone on this ship outranks you, for all practical purposes. If a lowly Seaman Apprentice tells you to jump, you ask how high! Understood?” they all mumbled their assent. “Good, maybe we’ll teach you some humility. Something I had to learn the hard way. By the way, Mr. Spock is Vulcan, so you have a lot of impressing to do. Dismissed.”

They all traipsed out to find Yeoman Rand, who waited to take them to their assigned quarters, Spock came out of the shadows to look at him, “Anyone remind you of yourself, Jim?”

“Keep an eye on Cadet Pine, he’s going to be trouble.”


	35. Cadets Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Much to Jim’s joy, there not one, or two, but three troublemakers (with familiar sounding last names, if you’re even vaguely familiar with the Star Trek universe). Well, two troublemakers and one caught in the crossfire. Sound familiar anyone? Don’t own them.

Cadets Daniel Urban, Frederick Pine, and Stanley Shatner stood at attention in front of Jim’s desk. He wondered if he could get a phone call to the afterlife, because he suddenly wanted to know if this is what he put Admiral Pike through when he was still alive. He shook his head, “Cadet Urban, would you please tell me how this all came about?”

The only cadet present in Medical Blue straightened even further to attention, “Yes, sir, we were in the rec room playing Poker.” He launched into a long and rather involved story starting with Poker and ending with Nyisha, Spock’s cat, being covered in paint from a rather antique paintball gun. None of it being their fault, of course. McCoy was standing at the back of the room trying to hold back a smirk.

“So, where did you get the paintball guns?” Kirk asked.

“We found them in the armory,” Shatner mumbled.

“How did you gain access to the armory? I’m certain Hendorff, our Security Chief, didn’t unlock it for you,” he said aloud.

Pine then launched into another involved story involving security override codes and his PADD. “Unfortunately, the cat got in the way,” he finished.

Kirk was suddenly glad Spock wasn’t there. He’d’ve Vulcan Death Gripped the kid into the next century for that. He was very attached to that cat. “Okay, so, you scared a cat into her fourth of nine lives. Painted decks three through six in pretty shades of bright florescent pinks, yellows, and greens, and traumatized half the crew." That last was probably an exaggeration. The crew did have to deal with him in his early years. “Do I have this all correct?”

“Yes, sir,” they all mumbled.

“Okay, you’re going to spend however long it takes to get Nyisha clean. Then, you’ll spend the rest of your free time cleaning the paint off the bulkheads. Then, we’ll try to find something else to do to keep you occupied during your free time. Understood?”

“Yes, sir,” they mumbled before traipsing out of Kirk’s office.

McCoy stepped forward, “Remind you of anyone?”

“I wasn’t that bad, was I?” Kirk asked.

“Well, you didn’t paint anybody’s cat orange, or get their dog lost in a transporter test,” McCoy said with a laugh. “We’ll survive, Jim, we’ll survive.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anybody who wants to describe that whole incident ending with Spock’s cat, is more than welcome to, just let me know where so I can get a good laugh. Oh, I know the Vulcan Death Grip doesn’t actually exist, but it’s a good threat to any unsuspecting cadet! lol


	36. Cadets III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jim talks to Admiral Barnett about those damn kids that won’t stop…Oh, never mind. Still don’t own them.

Jim rubbed the sides of his head, trying to rid himself of the oncoming headache he could feel building up just behind his eyes. “Cadet Shatner **almost** started a war with the Klingons?” Barnett asked.

The day before had started out well enough. They’d stopped by a planet on the border with Klingon space. They had met up with the USS Joshua where Kris McDaniel had come on board to brief the cadets on Klingon etiquette. She was the closest thing the Federation had on an expert on Klingons, short of a Klingon anyway.

“Ladies, if a Klingon latches on to you and starts reading something that sounds suspiciously like poetry, unless you’re into pain, I suggest you get away. Yes, you can inflict harm on the Klingon, even kill him if he won’t get the hint, but be obvious about your attempts to get away first. His companions will live with it. Guys, most females don’t travel with the ships, so you should be safe. They don’t read poetry, you do.”

The problem came when Shatner had had a little too much to drink. One of his fellow cadets had discovered that Klingon’s could be very passionate lovers, and was willing to give it a try. One of the Klingons, after a little flirting, opened a book and started reading Shakespeare. She started tossing balls at him. No one really wanted to get hurt, yet, and the spark in the man’s eyes meant he appreciated the attention. Soon, he grabbed her by the hair and gave a full-throated kiss. She didn’t disagree and found herself being carried off, with promises to have her back tomorrow, to a nearby home.

Stanley Shatner had drunk a little too much Blood Wine, and he really appreciated it. So much that he picked up the balls and started tossing them at random Klingons. When the Klingon realized who it was tossing the balls, he ignored him. Unfortunately, Stan couldn’t leave well enough alone. He started reading Shakespeare. Stanley was terrible at reading Shakespeare. The Klingons actually thought it was quite funny, until he started singing.

Klingons love Klingon Opera, and will often start singing at the tops of their lungs at random moments. So, they started singing as well. “Did I mention that he was drunk?” Jim asked. “He walked up to one of the Klingons and punched him in the nuts,” Barnett winced as he went on. “It took three hours to get him away from the Klingons. He suffered more broken bones than the girl that went with the other Klingon. She hasn’t stopped smiling, by the way, and I had a LOT of apologizing to do.”

Barnett’s palm went to his face before he sighed, “You avoided war?”

“Yes, and Stanley has been invited to come to Qo’noS and present himself to the Klingon Chancellor,” Barnett stared. “Well, what he did was the Klingon equivalent of Chutzpah, and Klingons like Chutzpah.”


	37. Cadets III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jim talks to Admiral Barnett about those damn kids that won’t stop…Oh, never mind. Still don’t own them.

Jim rubbed the sides of his head, trying to rid himself of the oncoming headache he could feel building up just behind his eyes. “Cadet Shatner **almost** started a war with the Klingons?” Barnett asked.

The day before had started out well enough. They’d stopped by a planet on the border with Klingon space. They had met up with the USS Joshua where Kris McDaniel had come on board to brief the cadets on Klingon etiquette. She was the closest thing the Federation had on an expert on Klingons, short of a Klingon anyway.

“Ladies, if a Klingon latches on to you and starts reading something that sounds suspiciously like poetry, unless you’re into pain, I suggest you get away. Yes, you can inflict harm on the Klingon, even kill him if he won’t get the hint, but be obvious about your attempts to get away first. His companions will live with it. Guys, most females don’t travel with the ships, so you should be safe. They don’t read poetry, you do.”

The problem came when Shatner had had a little too much to drink. One of his fellow cadets had discovered that Klingon’s could be very passionate lovers, and was willing to give it a try. One of the Klingons, after a little flirting, opened a book and started reading Shakespeare. She started tossing balls at him. No one really wanted to get hurt, yet, and the spark in the man’s eyes meant he appreciated the attention. Soon, he grabbed her by the hair and gave a full-throated kiss. She didn’t disagree and found herself being carried off, with promises to have her back tomorrow, to a nearby home.

Stanley Shatner had drunk a little too much Blood Wine, and he really appreciated it. So much that he picked up the balls and started tossing them at random Klingons. When the Klingon realized who it was tossing the balls, he ignored him. Unfortunately, Stan couldn’t leave well enough alone. He started reading Shakespeare. Stanley was terrible at reading Shakespeare. The Klingons actually thought it was quite funny, until he started singing.

Klingons love Klingon Opera, and will often start singing at the tops of their lungs at random moments. So, they started singing as well. “Did I mention that he was drunk?” Jim asked. “He walked up to one of the Klingons and punched him in the nuts,” Barnett winced as he went on. “It took three hours to get him away from the Klingons. He suffered more broken bones than the girl that went with the other Klingon. She hasn’t stopped smiling, by the way, and I had a LOT of apologizing to do.”

Barnett’s palm went to his face before he sighed, “You avoided war?”

“Yes, and Stanley has been invited to come to Qo’noS and present himself to the Klingon Chancellor,” Barnett stared. “Well, what he did was the Klingon equivalent of Chutzpah, and Klingons like Chutzpah.”


	38. Prince Charming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was written for a prompt on an LJ site where Chris Pine was wearing the following. Don’t own them.

“This is all your fault, you know?” Jim snarks.

Bones raises an eyebrow, “How is this MY fault?”

“You dragged me to your home to see Joanna, and this is what I get!” Jim points at the white and gold brocade doublet and brown pants with matching cape and shoes. “I’m PRINCE CHARMING!”

“Could be worse,” Bones replies.

“HOW?” Jim asks.

“You could be Snow White.”


	39. Cadets IV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kirk takes them home. Don’t own them

“Well,” Barnett said, talking to Jim face-to-face, “you’ve returned them all alive.”

“More or less,” Jim replied. “One of the Klingon women did take a liking to Stanley.”

“How is he?”

“Recovering, she only broke three of his bones. He was apparently very enthusiastic,” Jim said with a laugh.

“So, what’s your assessment?”

“I want Pine and Shatner when they graduate. They have a lot of potential. Bones is on the fence with regards to Urban, although M’Benga would like him,” Jim said. “Geoff does have some influence in Sickbay.” He handed the PADD over to Barnett, “The rest are rather interesting. I look forward to seeing what they do in the future. Both Shatner and Pine think outside the box. I’d sent them for a couple of months with Ambassador Sarek. He might be able to tame them, somewhat.”

“Why?”

“Even I have some logic to my thinking. Sarek has an ability to beat it into humans, just ask his aide! He passed that down to his son, unfortunately, I’m not giving up my Executive Officer for this purpose.”

Barnett laughed, “I can understand that. Thank you for your suggestions.” Barnett left as Jim picked up a folder for perusal. Seconds later, Barnett reentered the room, covered in yellow paint. Jim sighed, and tried to cover a laugh. Barnett sighed, “Well, who do you think did this?”

“No idea, but we’ll check the corridor cameras!”


	40. And the Winner Is

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the corridor cameras are checked, the culprit is NOT who anyone was expecting. Don’t own them.

Hendorff was called into Kirk’s office as soon as Admiral Barnett left. He pulled up the camera footage and rewound the footage. It went back several hours before several figures appeared together. The central figure, one in blue, was carefully positioning the bucket above the doorway. Even pointing out how easy it was. Kirk stared at the footage, “Has this been altered?” He couldn’t quite believe what his eyes were telling him.

Hendorff checked the recordings, “No, sir, you’re seeing what happened.”

“Thank you, Lieutenant,” Kirk said. Hendorff left quietly, this was an unusual situation, to say the least. “Kirk to Spock.” There was no answer. He tried again, “Kirk to Spock.”

“I’ve got a lovely bunch of coconuts, deedly dee,” came the reply.

“Mr. Spock,” Jim tried to interject.

“It’s a small world after all,” the voice continued, loudly and badly.

Kirk cut the link. He hit another button, “Kirk to Uhura.”

“Uhura here, Captain,” Uhura responded.

“Is Spock there with you?” Jim asked.

As if in response, another voice cut in, “If I were a rich man.”

“Where are you?” Kirk asked.

“In his quarters, Captain, he’s acting as if he were drunk. All he had were some blueberry muffins Cadet Pine gave him before leaving,” Uhura said exasperatedly.

“Nyota, are you sure those are **blueberry** muffins?” Jim asked.

There was a long pause, then a sigh, “No, sir, I just tasted them. They are chocolate chip muffins. Those cadets got my boyfriend DRUNK!!!!”

“Get him down to Sickbay, Uhura. Dr. M’Benga will know what to do. I’ll meet you there,” Jim said.

“Thriller! Thriller night!” Jim winced as he turned off the comm. When he reached Sickbay, Spock had his arms tightly wound around Nurse Chapel and Dr. Marcus, “And IIIIIIII will always love you!!!” were the last words out of his mouth before M’Benga hit him with a hypo. Wild applause and cheering broke out as Spock slumped backwards over the bed. His feet dangled over one side while his head dangled over the other. Chapel and Marcus worked to straighten him out. The fit him with an IV that would keep him hydrated and lessen the hangover he was sure to have when he woke up. They handed Uhura an emesis basin and M’Benga told Kirk that it would be several hours before Spock woke up.

When Kirk returned Spock was sitting up in bed with his head between his knees and the basin firmly in front of his mouth. “How are you feeling, Spock?” Jim asked. All he got was a groan in return. “Well, if it makes you feel any better, you’ve been exonerated from decorating the Admiral with yellow paint due to mitigating circumstances.” Spock moaned. “The cadets are being reprimanded for their extracurricular activities.” Uhura looked at Jim, “Barnett is waiting for you to come up with something appropriately…creative…for their punishment.” Uhura smiled, she could get VERY creative.


	41. In Other Academy News

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Uhura and Spock get even. Don’t own them. Or the idea for how they got even.

Every week the Academy had news spread across the campus in the form of a television news broadcast. This was done by various cadets interested in public relations. So when everyone returned from winter break, no one could resist the following newscast.

“In other news: Cadets Pine, Urban and Shatner returned to find their dorm rooms looking like this:”

This showed a picture of the room. Someone had gone in and redecorated it in frilly pink and princess motif. Disney Princesses splayed everywhere. A giant picture of the Princess Aurora glued to one wall. To top it all off, it was all nailed to the ceiling.

“No one knows who pulled this stunt, but students are calling this the best prank ever.”

“Does Jo have her stuff back?” Jim asked, trying not to laugh.

“Captain, she gave us the stuff in return for new stuff,” Spock replied with a straight face. “She even went shopping with us to buy her new stuff.”

Jim looked at McCoy, “And Jocelyn agreed to this?”

“Agreed, hell, she helped nail the stuff to the ceiling!”


	42. Ticklish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I got a Star Trek magazine from years ago with Captain Archer on the cover. Scott Bakula is so…yummy. Loved him since Quantum Leap. Somebody, who isn’t a certain five year old, is ticklish on the bottom of his feet. A certain elderly admiral, with the help of said five year old, is having fun with it since this certain someone is stuck in bed. Don’t own them.

Jim awoke when he felt the cold rush of air as the blanket was lifted from his right foot. He heard the deep rumble of Admiral Archer’s voice trying to speak softly. A high-pitched voice from a certain five-year old giggled at the elderly admiral’s comment. Jim made the concerted effort to remain completely still, pretending he was asleep. It apparently worked.

“But only little kids are!” Jo exclaimed.

“But I heard from Porthos, so is your Uncle Jim!” Jim was suddenly apprehensive. What in the world could a **dog** tell his human, other than the large stain that was left on his pajamas when they found him, anyway. His brain raced through his interactions with the Admiral’s dog, trying to figure out what had happened, when it happened. Archer ran a finger up the underside of Jim’s bare foot causing it to jerk uncontrollably.

With tremendous effort Jim remained limp as he heard Jo ask, “Can I try?”

“Sure go ahead,” Jo’s feather light touch was even worse than Archer’s as Jim’s foot jerked even more. Jim still managed to remain relaxed as Jo ran out of the room yelling for her father, telling him that Uncle Jim was just as ticklish as she was.

Jim felt the blanket and sheet return to their previous position over his foot, “I’d have thought, after Tarsus IV, you wouldn’t be ticklish. Nice acting, by the way.”

“You know I nearly kicked Porthos off the bed when he licked my foot that day,” Jim said with a chuckle.

Archer chuckled, “I was there, I should know. She’s cute.”

“She is, but don’t let anybody else know about my feet. I do have a reputation to maintain.”

“Sure, as we all know, James Tiberius Kirk, Captain of the Starship USS Enterprise NCC-1701, can’t be ticklish,” Archer said with a snort causing Jim to smile.


	43. Fencing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one was mulled over and inspired by the fact that a certain Kiwi actor was sword-wielding in the Lord of the Rings. You should know who I’m talking about. Don’t own them.

The space had been cleared out for the traditional fencing match. Both fencers wore the traditional fencing gear that included the head mask. The only thing for certain was that one was Sulu. It was a slow dance as both fencers circled and parried. Each movement a sophisticated set of orchestration that only those who truly knew fencing could appreciate.

“Who’s his opponent,” Uhura asked. “Chekov?”

Spock said, “No, Chekov is over there.” He pointed to the edge of the crowd. Besides, Sulu’s opponent was too big to be Chekov. In fact his size suggested one of three people not present: Kirk, McCoy, or Hendorff. Of those listed only Kirk was known to have fenced with Sulu, yet Sulu’s opponent displayed more skill than the Captain displayed.

The match continued as someone loudly protested, “I still say it’s the Captain!” Several people chuckled as more betting continued.

Moments before the match ended Captain Kirk stepped through the rec room doors, startling the audience by saying hello to Uhura. Uhura stared at him, “If that’s not you, then who is it?”

Kirk grinned at her, “You don’t know? He’s been fencing since he was old enough to pick up a sword. His dad insisted that it was a gentlemanly art and that he should learn it.”

“Wait, you know who that is?” Carol demanded. The match came to an end as Sulu’s opponent won. Kirk grinned as he walked up to the pair.

“Nice job, Sulu. Hey, Bones, thanks for taking my spot,” Kirk said as Sulu’s opponent removed his mask. Everyone gasped as the Doctor’s face was revealed.

“No problem, Jim. Thanks for the workout, Hikaru. I’ll admit I’m out of practice,” they shook hands and Sulu turned and walked away.

Uhura swore she could hear Sulu muttering, “Out of practice my ass.”

It was so quiet a pin could be heard if somebody dropped one, Bones finally broke it, “So, anybody care for a drink?”


	44. Caramel Pudding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well, I took Silver-Shadow Spark’s suggestion and made it into what is probably the weirdest drabble to date. Hope you like it. Don’t own them.

Jim lay on the couch in his apartment watching vids as the door burst open. Gaila came charging through. “I heard your message, Jim! I love you too!” she ripped off her coat to reveal that she was wearing a metal bikini. Jim blinked, shaking his head.

Seconds later Carol came through the door behind him, “How can you possibly love him! He’s not even your species.” She ripped off her own coat revealing the black bra and panties she had worn before.

“Ladies,” Jim said. “There’s no reason to fight.”

They glared at him and continued their fight as Uhura walked in, “Gaila, I told you not to go with him. He’s just another mouth breather.” Jim opened his mouth, Uhura was wearing the Batman costume.

“Uhura, what are you wearing?” Jim asked.

“None of your business,” she snapped as a long snake entered the room. Jim jumped off the couch and onto the kitchen table. “What’s wrong, Captain?”

“There’s a snake there, I hate SNAKES!” he peered at it. “Why is it wearing a tutu?”

“Because it wants to,” another voice joined in. They all turned to find McCoy standing there dressed like Glenda from the Wizard of Oz. Waving his wand around expertly. “I’m sorry, Jim. You can’t keep stringing women along like this.” He pointed the wand at Jim and it sounded like a phaser…

…Jim awoke with a start. He was still in his hospital room. McCoy was asleep in the cot next to his bed, and wasn’t wearing a dress. What’s more, there was no snake wearing a tutu. Jim sighed in relief. Maybe he should lay off the caramel pudding before bed.


	45. Winter Solstice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s a given, not everyone celebrates Christmas, and there are a bunch of religious observances around the end of December, this being one of them. Several crewmembers who observe this night are gathered in the rec room, and Jim is curious. Don’t own them.

It started with a candle. A single, black candle lit and designed to burn all night. It flared to life. “The longest night of the year,” a single voice arises. “We remember those who have passed on as the Earth turns to the darkest part of the year. Winter has begun.” More candles flare to life.

“As Winter begins with the longest night of the year, the year comes to an end. The days lengthen, the nights shorten. Soon enough, Spring will come and the Goddess will awaken so the Earth will spring to life again and once again turn green.” A small gong sounded and the observance appeared to end. As music and laughter rose from those gathered.

“That’s it?” Kirk asked.

“This isn’t anything like a formal Coven, Captain,” one of his lieutenants told him. “Wicca is an old and new religion. It is based on the ancient Earth religions that once dominated the world. But the religion itself is only about three hundred years old. Much of this was lost when Christianity came to dominate the Western world.”

“Now what?” Jim asked.

“Now, we celebrate! Come on, we have eggnog!” all knew that Jim Kirk couldn’t resist eggnog.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I’m Wiccan. This came from a frustrating conversation with a “Born Again Christian” who felt I needed saving from myself. He needs to go save his own soul and stop worrying about mine. Please Read and Review!


	46. A Pranky Show and Tell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by BananaLollypop’s “I Need You” and Sonar’s suggestion, Joanna takes someone to show and tell, and the other ends up being subjected to pranks. Don’t own them.

“Honey, are you sure about this?” Jocelyn asked Jo, looking at her guest for the day.

“Yes, Mommy, I’m very sure about this,” she replied. The teacher had said to bring the most unusual item or bring the most unusual person you know to school for show and tell tomorrow. The Enterprise was on a layover on Earth, and Jo had pounced. This person was just as unable to resist the now seven year old as anyone else on the ship.

“Miss Joanna McCoy, would you like to bring your guest up to meet everyone?” her teacher finally called on her.

Joanna looked up at her guest and smiled before putting her hand in his and leading him up. He gazed calmly at his audience as Jo introduced him, “This is my friend, Commander Spock. He is First Officer on the USS Enterprise. This means, if something bad happens to Uncle Jim, he becomes Captain.” The teacher hid a smile at the girl’s familiarity with the famous (or infamous) captain. “He’s a Vulcan. Actually, he’s half-Vulcan. His mother, Amanda Grayson, was human, and his father, Uncle Sarek, is Vulcan. She died on Vulcan when it was destroyed. He is also the Chief Science Officer on the Enterprise. He helps the study of science going while they’re exploring the galaxy.”

Spock nodded at Jo as the teacher asked if the kids had any questions, “What color is your blood?” was the first, rather predictable question.

“Green,” he answered.

The questions came fast and furious. “Do you have a girlfriend?” “Do you have a boyfriend?” “Have you got any weird wounds?” “Why are your ears pointed?” “Are you stronger than humans?”

The questions were predictable, until one little girl, who was taking notes, asked, “What made you decide not to enter the Vulcan Science Academy?” Spock was taken aback by the question and answered her question truthfully. “Has a non-Vulcan ever been accepted to the VSA?”

“Yes, Captain Kirk was accepted while he was recovering from injuries suffered while defending Earth from Admiral Marcus’ rampage,” he answered.

The class eventually left for lunch and Spock approached the teacher, “Ma’am, the girl who asked me those questions about the VSA.”

“Yes, Audrey, she’s probably the type to enter Starfleet when she gets old enough,” the teacher responded.

“If I forward you information about the Academy, will you forward it to her parents?” Spock inquired.

The teacher smiled, “You bet I will!”

_Meanwhile…_

Jim entered the Bridge, coffee cup in his hand, and Rand was ready with PADDs for him to sign. Jim sighed as he sat down in his chair. Someone had thoughtfully installed a coffee cup holder in the chair. Jim sat down and suddenly he heard:

_Why are there so many_

_Songs about Rainbows_

_And what’s on the other side?_

Confused, Jim looked around to see who was singing the _Rainbow Connection_ song with an excellent imitation of Kermit the Frog. He finally found Chekov sitting there singing very earnestly, and quite well. “Mr. Chekov?” he asked.

“Yes, Keptin?” Chekov asked innocently.

“Please stop singing,” Kirk asked.

“Yes Keptin,” Chekov responded.

The song ended, but the songs didn’t. He went down to Engineering for a consultation, and Scotty broke into a song and dance:

_One, singular sensation_

_Every little step she takes._

_One, thrilling combination_

_Every move that she makes_

“Scotty? Seriously! _A Chorus Line_?” Jim asked. Scotty looked innocently at him before launching into his description.

It was when Uhura broke into _Greensleeves_ , and Sulu broke into _My Heart Will Go On_ that Jim suspected that something was going on. There were two suspects left, and one was on Earth with the other’s daughter. “Okay, Bones, what did I do this time?” he asked.

“Well, tell you the truth, it was my latest ploy to get you down here for your physical,” Bones said with a huge grin. Jim sighed, knowing he was now trapped and sat down on the nearest biobed. “See, that wasn’t so hard, was it?”

Jim rolled his eyes, “How did you get to be a doctor with such an awful bedside manner?”

“My bedside manner is just fine, you just need to be a lot more responsive to your CMO’s dictates!”

 


	47. Broken Leg

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Somebody gets clumsy. Don’t own them.

“Okay, how did you do this?” McCoy asked his patient.

“I tripped,” his patient replied. Jim and Spock watched in amusement from the corner.

“Where did you trip?” McCoy asked again.

“In Engineering,” came the reply. Hands crossed over the patient’s chest as they tried not to admit to what happened.

“Out with it, what happened?” McCoy finally drove.

“I left a spanner in the middle of Engineerin’ and bloody well tripped o’er it on my way to the loo after fallin’ asleep!” Scotty finally admitted sending everyone into gales of laughter.


	48. Dammit Jim! I’m a Doctor not a Male Stripper!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Go ahead, blame my encounter with Karl Urban at the Sci-Fi Expo yesterday in Irving Texas for the title. This is a direct quote. Somebody’s having a bachelorette party and wants a well, you know. So, the male crewmembers are having a debate. Don’t own them.

“So, who do they want?” Sulu asked.

“It’s a toss-up,” Uhura responded before Spock could open his mouth, “the Captain or the Doctor. If they could have both…”

“You do realize the Captain would probably be more willing than the Doctor,” Sulu responded. Uhura nodded. In two days time there would be a wedding, and tonight were the “parties”. The boys had already managed their entertainment, but the ladies, were looking for a male stripper, still.

“NO!” came Bones’ exclamation. “Dammit Jim! I’m a Doctor not a MALE STRIPPER!!!”

“Oh, come on, Bones, it’s just for one night! I’ll go with you!” Jim said with a laugh.

“If you come with me, you’re also stripping!” Bones announced.

_Later that evening_

Not only had Jim talked Bones into doing it, Bones was wearing an old American style police officer’s uniform, shoulder holster and all. The music started and with a great deal of trepidation, McCoy entered the room. Jim could tell, he had promised to go with him, that he actually started enjoying himself as he wrapped his pants around the bride’s shoulders and started grinding for her. He didn’t take everything off, no one was paying him enough for that.

Bones gave up and walked down the corridors of the ship in just his underwear as he spoke to Jim about that evening. The appreciative wolf-calls had him turning all sorts of shades of red, “Next time, you do it!” Bones muttered.

“Sure Bones, I’ve got scrubs so I can pretend that I’m you!”


	49. Counting Tiles?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part of “Two Weeks of Hell” universe, Bones discovers Jim is bored in bed. Jim is not good bored. Don’t own them.

“He’s counting,” Nurse Crachett told Bones at the Nurse’s station

McCoy raised his eyes to his second favorite nurse, cocked an eyebrow, and sighed, “What is he counting.”

“Ceiling tiles,” she replied.

“Ceiling tiles?” it really wasn’t a question.

“You seriously need to get him into physical therapy, Doc. He’s up to thirty-eight.”

“Does his room have that many tiles?” Bones asked.

“According to engineering? No, I think he’s gone, theoretically, to the next room,” she replied.

“At this rate, he’ll tell me how many ceiling tiles are in the entire hospital?” he asked.

“That’s not counting the parking garage,” Crachett replied.

“There are ceiling tiles in the parking garage?” Bones asked.

“I don’t know,” Crachett shrugged.

Bones sighed and turned toward Jim’s room, “Jim, stop driving the staff crazy.”

“147, 148, 149, I’m sorry Bones. Exactly how am I driving them crazy?” Jim paused to ask.

“You’re counting ceiling tiles?” Bones asked.

“150, 151, 152…”

“Stop that!” Bones yelled exasperatedly.

“Give me something to do!” Jim yelled exasperatedly.

Bones left Jim in solitude. Two hours later he returned. “Here,” he said handing Jim a PADD, “you can’t access the web with it, but you can finish some projects you started before you died.” Jim stuck his tongue out at Bones. Electronic communications outside the TV and Doctor’s Comms didn’t work in ICU. Bones stalked out of Jim’s room, “Such an infant.”


	50. Botany Bay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the incident with Khan, most of Starfleet has been searching for the ship that Marcus discovered. In the original episode, eighty men and women went to space, seventy-two survived. Don’t own them.

“Captain, I have an odd message for you. It’s from Ambassador Sarek, he says it’s the last message left by Ambassador Spock before he died and wanted you to have it,” Uhura said, turning toward Kirk with a PADD in her hand.

Kirk’s brow wrinkled in confusion. It had been two years since the Ambassador and his wife died. Why did he was he getting the message now? He walked over to the PADD and looked at the message:

_Jim,_

_On this date in my time we discovered the Botany Bay and Khan Noonien Singh. Here are the coordinates. It probably is no longer there, and even if it is, Khan is not._

_Live Long and Prosper,_

_Spock_

“Mr. Sulu, set a course for these coordinates,” Jim said, handing Sulu the PADD. “Warp Factor 5.”

“We’ll arrive at those coordinates in two hours, Captain,” Sulu responded.

“Thank you, Mr. Sulu,” Jim responded returning to his chair.

Two hours later they arrived at the ship, and found the ship. Jim formed an away team: him, Spock, Dr. McCoy, and Lieutenant Marla McGivers, ship’s historian. The beamed over to the ship wearing respirators, there was little atmosphere on the ship, not enough to breathe anyway. Once aboard Jim looked around. There were eighty cryotubes all built into the walls of the ancient craft. They all stared, “So, Marcus just left the ship here?” Bones asked.

“Apparently,” Jim responded, “once he had what he wanted, he discarded what he didn’t need.”

“Captain, the machines are still running,” Spock responded.

“Not surprised,” Jim replied. He walked over and punched some buttons, “According to these readouts, there’s someone left.”

They spent the next ten minutes running through the ship. Seven tubes were still occupied, all dead. “It looks like they died in the intervening years between launch and being found, Jim,” Bones told them. “They’re in various states of advanced decomposition, delayed by the malfunctioning cryotubes.”

“Computers say there is one left, Captain,” Spock told him. “Someone else may still be alive.”

“Over here!” they heard. They rounded a corner to discover McGivers kneeling in front of another tube. A woman lay inside.

“She’s alive,” Bones confirmed. “Do we wake her up?”

“No, she’s as dangerous as Khan, and letting her out here will kill her. Have M’Benga meet us in the transporter room ready to put her into a coma. Put her in a stasis field in Sickbay, just in case,” Jim told Bones.

In moments, all five were transported back to the ship where M’Benga hurriedly administered the drugs to the silent woman. Jim hit the comm button on the transporter console, “Uhura, call Starfleet. Tell them of our discovery and that we’re on our way back to Earth.”

Hours later, in spite of all the drugs, she awoke. She never gave her name, but breathed a single word, a name, “Khan.”

“We’re taking you to him,” Bones told her. She nodded before slipping back into sleep.

Admiral Barnett met the shuttle bringing her back to Earth, “Will she join wherever it is your keeping Khan?” Jim asked.

“Yes,” the Admiral responded. “No sense in waking her up with no family.”

“Yeah, family is everything,” Jim responded before he returned to his own family, made not born.

 


	51. Starfleet Academy Entrance Exam

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jim finds this exam less challenging than the Vulcan Science Academy exam he would take years later. Don’t own them.

“You see before you the exam to Starfleet Academy. All of you are here because you have demonstrated the aptitude to do this, we just need this for a formality. You have six hours to finish this exam with a thirty minute break for food after three hours. You may begin now.”

Jim stared at the computer screen in front of him. It was basic information such as his full name: James Tiberius Kirk. The next question, what was the date of his birth. Where he was born was a little trickier, for some reason the computer didn’t recognize “shuttlecraft fleeing the USS Kelvin” as a valid birthplace. Jim shrugged, that was where he was born, he couldn’t do anything about it.

Then came the nuts and bolts of the exam. He found the beginning to be easy. In fact, until he got to the language portion of the exam, it was boring. There were more than a few languages he didn’t know and he felt it to be challenging. He finished the exam before the mid-break occurred. He set his head down on his desk and fell asleep.

Jim didn’t realize that he’d started snoring until the exam proctor shook him awake, “Mr. Kirk! Wake up! If you don’t take this test seriously, you’ll never get into the Academy!”

“Oh, can I go?” Jim asked.

“Go? Why would you go?” she asked, perplexed.

Jim looked at his watch, “I finished an hour ago.” The teacher had no choice but to let him go, he naturally passed with flying colors. It was yet another thing that went down into the legend that would become James T. Kirk.


	52. Bones and Chocolate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Went through Rebirth and realized, there’s a drabble in Bones’ addiction to chocolate. Go figure! Don’t own them.

It was a wedding, of all things, that Jim discovered Bones’ “other” addiction. It seemed that the entire McCoy clan had the same addiction. One of Bones’ cousins was getting married, and Bones invited Jim to come along. Jim, being considered an honorary member of the McCoy clan, was ordered to come by the clan matriarch, Eleanor McCoy. So, Jim showed up to the wedding alongside Bones in full Starfleet dress uniform, and promptly remembered why he hated this uniform. In San Francisco, where the average temperature was between fifty and eighty degrees Fahrenheit, Georgia was eighty five and humid. Jim sighed.

“Ah, Georgia heat,” Bones sighed in happiness, “time to get the fog drenched cold out of my body.”

“Bones! You’ve only been back on Earth for two days! God this is hot!” Jim said, tugging at his collar. Bones gave him a sideways glance as they entered the car that Eleanor had sent for him. It was a limousine. “I forgot how rich your family is,” Jim said with a grin.

“Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth, Jim,” Bones grumbled good-naturedly as they entered the limo. The driver tipped his hat to the two men before closing the door and getting in to drive. They reached the church, an old fashioned Episcopal church that had somehow survived the nuclear war two hundred years earlier. It was air conditioned.

The whole party ventured back to the McCoy mansion where the party went into full swing. Jim kept a glass of champagne in his hand, and as far as McCoy could tell, he never got a refill. He was stone cold sober when he went to bed that night. So was Bones, he had another addiction: chocolate.

One of the many foods that was represented was chocolate. Chocolate ice cream, chocolate candy bars, chocolate cakes, fudge, name it, it was there. When Jim came back to the table with a healthy helping of desert, he discovered Bones with three heaping plates of the chocolate confectionaries. Jim stared at his measly single plate and at Bones’ more than generous portions. “Bones?” he asked. “Do you have a problem?”

Bones looked up, “No, not really.”

Jim glanced around and discovered the whole family carried more than a few plates apiece. “Wow, how are none of you fat?”

“Good genes, I guess,” McCoy replied around a spoon.

Jim shook his head and sat down. After returning to the Enterprise, Jim discovered Bones would order something with chocolate anytime he got a chance. It was mostly cake or ice cream, but every once in a while, something surprising would occur. Someone found a chocolate fountain set up and, without asking anyone, and set it up in the rec room. Bones’ eyes lit up. It was a scene straight from the old British Comedy, “The Vicar of Dibley”, Bones almost dove right in. Jim kept a firm hold of Bones’ shirt to keep the chocolate free of sudden contaminants. It didn’t stop bones from getting a bowl full of the creamy stuff and nearly drinking from the bowl. Jim sighed as he handed Bones a napkin. The chocolate mustache was prominent. “It’s a good thing you’re not a Vulcan,” Jim said as Spock walked by. “You’d be drunk.”

Sulu, who had taken a sip of some concoction he’d whipped up, promptly snorted the contents out his nose. Everyone at his table promptly got up and left with a few good-natured comments about things coming out places they shouldn’t be.

“Yeah, but I’d be a happy drunk,” Bones replied, saluting Jim with a spoon. Jim laughed as he returned the salute with his own spoon. He was eating soup. He secretly filed this away for later, it might just come in handy.


	53. Jumpin’ Out of an Airplane

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is dedicated to the memory my friend and fellow Trekkie Margie “Mom” Acree, who, at the age of 85 did just that. She joined the Great Bird and many others on the final Trek just a few days ago well into her nineties. Don’t own them.

Jim stood by Bones and a nervous Lieutenant Commander Melissa Solomon, who was biting her nails. Melissa’s mother, Margie, was due to land nearby after a tandem jump out of an airplane at the age of 85. Not to be outdone, Admiral Jonathan Archer, at 145, was joining her. Spock had also joined them, ostensibly to take pictures. Jim was still sure he’d never hear the end of that from Uhura. He was just glad he wouldn’t be on the receiving end of that lecture.

“Are you sure this was a good idea?” Bones muttered.

“Wasn’t my idea,” Jim mumbled.

“This from the man who dove from the upper atmosphere two weeks ago?” Melissa retorted. “Where do you think she got the idea?” Jim flushed, two weeks before the Enterprise was set to go, and he had to take a daredevil trip and break the sound barrier while he was at it. It wasn’t like he was the first to do it.

“Did he ever tell Uhura?” Bones asked.

“Did he get on the plane?” Jim asked. Bones didn’t utter another word. He held the leash of the Admiral’s dog, Porthos, as they waited.

It seemed forever before they saw the parachutes gliding toward them. The only one who was tandem diving was Spock, who could do it himself, much to everyone’s surprise. Margie was small, five feet, one hundred pounds soaking wet, and nearly blind. None of this deterred the smile as she set her feet on the ground after her partner stopped running. She pulled off her goggles and helmet and turned around after she was unbuckled from the man behind her. Archer was the next on the ground and his grin was just as big. “Now I know why people did this for fun!” he exclaimed. “Why did I wait so long?” Jim grinned as Porthos started to bay at his master.

Spock came in for a perfect landing by himself, recorder safely tucked into the jumpsuit he wore. He glanced around, as if to make sure Uhura was still not around, before making his way to the group. He pulled the images up to show both the Admiral and Margie falling out of the plane before him. The shot of the other chutes opening up just before he did himself was inspiring.

“So, Margie, what are you going to do for your ninetieth birthday,” Jim asked with a grin.

“An atmospheric jump, just like you did, young man,” she replied. Everyone laughed. It was a good day.


	54. The Unexpected

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Kirk, Chekov, and Sulu are known for their geekdom, a third person unexpectedly reacts to their Halloween costumes appropriately. Don’t own them.

“Heaven help us,” Bones muttered. The Halloween Party was in full swing. He’d gone in old fashioned doctor’s outfit, scrubs. Scotty, to whom he’d been speaking, turned to look in the direction Bones was staring. Jim, Pavel, and Hikaru stood in the doorway wearing Catholic Cardinals outfits that looked like it could have come straight from medieval Europe. Except they were also wearing leather flying helmets, goggles and gloves that came from World War I.

“Hae they converted and told no one?” Scotty asked, confused. Bones shrugged. Even Spock looked utterly lost.

Uhura, on the other hand, wearing a naughty nurse’s outfit, marched straight up to them, “Well, gentlemen, this was certainly unexpected!”

Sulu looked at her, stood up straighter putting his hands on his hips, and announced, “No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!”

Uhura bust out into laughter, “No, no one does!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I’ve lost you, go look up Monty Python and the Spanish Inquisition skit. It was making the rounds on facebook a few months ago. Yes, just let my geek flag fly.


	55. What Does This Button Do?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by the latest chapter of “New Money Old Money” where Bones and Jim go on vacation and Jim asks that question. Don’t own them.

Bones and company learned, of all the questions Jim could ask, probably the most dangerous was, “Hey, what does this button do?” The first time he asked that question, he ended somebody else’s run at the Kobayashi Maru before they even got to the Klingons. It was the self-destruct button, and was probably the reason that it started to take three officers to set a self-destruct on a starship after that incident. The cadet was able to retake the test without the presence of James Tiberius Kirk.

The second time was on an away mission, again as a cadet, to Mithras V. Kirk hit the wrong button and they ended up on Risa. Oddly enough, nobody called for help for a week. The third time, Jim catapulted Sulu out of a cavern of solid rock and back onto the surface of the planet which had no atmosphere. Fortunately, everyone had been wearing full space suits so all Sulu had to do was call the ship for help.

The final time anyone let Jim anywhere near the button was just before Spock finished interpreting the hieroglyphs of some ancient civilization. Spock intercepted Jim before he could press the button and wipe out the entire existing civilization of the planet. So a rule was added to the Enterprise’s unwritten rule list:

“Never let the Captain touch anything on away missions, especially if it appears to be a button.”


	56. Raktajino

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In case you didn’t know, Raktajino is the Klingon version of coffee. And if you know anything about Klingons, you know that anything they make is strong! Set in the “Lessons of Rura Penthe” universe. Don’t own them.

Jim sat in his quarters, sipping out of a coffee cup. A slight grimace crossed his face, but this was his monthly shipment from the Klingon Empire. There were some advantages to owning a share in a Dilithium Crystal Mine.

The door slid open and Bones walked out in his pajamas and walked to the coffee pot. He poured himself a cup and took a sip before Jim could warn him. “What the devil is this!?” he cried, his hair standing on end.

“Raktajino,” Jim replied taking another sip from his cup.

“Where did you get this stuff?” Bones asked.

“The Klingons make it. I…have contacts,” Jim replied not really wanting to divulge that he was a wealthy man.

“This is…” Bones walked over to the couch, sitting upon it and taking another sip, “This is awful, terrible, worst stuff I’ve ever drunk.”

Jim smiled. “More?” he asked.

“Yes, please,” Bones replied.


	57. Bubble Wrap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A couple of days ago a friend of mine and I at work found a strip of this stuff. We had lots of fun, until our boss caught us and made us throw it away. Geez. I sound like a four year old! lol I’m currently working on a pair of Drabbles for prompts for Halloween! Ghostbusters! Uh, never mind, don’t own them.

Pop! The odd sound attracted Spock’s attention. It wasn’t very loud, barely audible, but it got his attention. “Are you sure we won’t get in trouble?” a female voice asked.

“No, of course not, why would we get in trouble?” another voice, definitely male, asked. Snap! Pop! The noise went on and on.

“We always get caught by **him** ,” a third voice joined in, another male. It was coming from the weapons locker near the bridge.

“I feel so guilty,” the female voice, vaguely familiar and muffled by the door muttered.

Spock pushed the button to open the door and it revealed three very familiar faces. “Spock!” Jim said, surprised clutching a piece of bubble wrap in his hand. Uhura and McCoy stood near him looking guilty.

“Captain, Doctor, Lieutenant,” Spock replied. His eyebrow raised as McCoy guiltily squeezed his own piece of bubble wrap. “What are you doing?”

Jim and Uhura looked at McCoy. “Relieving stress?” Bones said with a squeak.

“Relieving stress?” Spock asked. All three humans nodded their heads vigorously. Spock held up his hand and all three handed him their piece of bubble wrap. They shook their heads and stepped out of the locker. Moments later they all heard the faint pops as if Spock was indulging himself in the popping game himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who, Spock, he would never do that, would he?


	58. Only Jim

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jim does something unexpected, even for him. Don’t own them.

Bones pulled himself out of bed. It was Saturday, and he wasn’t expected anywhere, even the hospital. He showered, shaved, dressed in civvies and headed out of his dorm room. The first hint of something unusual going on. “I can’t believe he did it,” one cadet whispered to a friend.

“Well, considering who we’re talking about!” another announced.

“Did he climb all the way up there?” he heard Uhura ask.

“I don’t know how else he got up there!” Gaila responded.

Bones joined the surging crowd as it emptied into the quad. He stopped along with everyone else and looked up. He found someone sitting atop one of the flagpoles. “What in the blazes?” he suddenly asked. “Who is it?”

“Who do you think?” Sulu asked.

“Jim,” he muttered.

“What gave him the idea to do that?” another cadet asked.

“We were watching an old game show last night called ‘What’s My Line?’. It’s so old it was in black and white. It featured a professional flagpole sitter,” Bones responded.

“That’s a new one on me,” a new voice sounded at his elbow. Bones looked over at Captain Pike. “What do you think?” he asked Bones.

“Leave him up there,” Bones told him. Pike raised an eyebrow. “He’ll get in less trouble if he stays up there!”


	59. Fears

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jo’s having a birthday. Bones hires a clown. Somebody’s afraid of clowns. Don’t own them.

Jim smiled as Jo squealed. Bones had pulled out all the stops on the Enterprise. Jocelyn had given in and let Bones plan it on the Enterprise with her help. This party had everything, which explained why it was being held in one of the cargo bays. It had a petting farm, a pony, a magician, and six guys dressed as characters from Harry Potter and Jedi Knights.

Jo was dressed as a Princess and all her little friends were in constant motion as several adults, including the senior staff, stood around admiring the decorations. Jim looked at Bones, “Didn’t you hire a clown?”

“Yeah, he’ll be here,” Bones responded. “Bridge just called to confirm he beamed up a minute ago. Security is escorting him down.” Bones grinned. “Jo loves clowns.”

“Couldn’t tell,” Jim said with a laugh. Jo had been talking about it non-stop for the last week. Sure enough, a figure emerged from the other side of the bay. Brightly striped clothes with oversized pants. Huge shoes, facepaint and a brightly colored wig could be seen a mile away. The horn he squeezed completed the outfit. He was immediately surrounded by children who clamored for balloon animals. He complied with a loud laugh and exaggerated movements.

“Spock!” Jim heard Uhura’s voice echo from the other side of the room. “GET DOWN FROM THERE!”

Jim and Bones looked at each other before turning toward her voice. Soon, the problem became evident. Spock had climbed the wall and was clinging to one of the lights hanging from the ceiling. “I’m not coming down,” Spock responded. To Jim’s ears the normally calm Vulcan sounded, well, petulant.

“Why not?” Jim asked.

“Who invited the clown?” Spock asked.

“I did,” Bones told him. “Jo likes clowns. Wait, are you afraid of clowns?” Bones asked. Jim looked at Bones and then back at his first officer.

“Fear is illogical,” Spock announced as the kids and clown worked their way to the table holding the food and cake directly under the suspended Vulcan. He managed to get higher up the light. “But that clown is unnatural.”

“You’re afraid of clowns,” Jim said. “You’re actually afraid of clowns,” he said with a laugh.

“Jim, please,” Spock said, trying to remain composed.

Jim sighed. “Okay Spock, I’ll distract the clown. Uhura, get him down and out the door while I do so,” Jim said. Spock watched as Jim approached Joe, the guy in the clown suit and managed to get him to walk away with him, a trail of kids following.

Bones watched as Spock climbed down off the light and took off toward the nearest door. Bones laughed as Jim glanced over to see Spock sprinting out the door. He clapped Joe on the shoulder and wandered back to Bones. “Uhura, did he tell you he was afraid of clowns?”

“I didn’t have a clue until now,” she said with a laugh. “He’s never going to live this down, is he?” she asked.

Jim grinned. He looked a lot like the cat who caught the canary. “Not in a million years.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am making no apologies to anyone who may be afraid of clowns, I’m not. I think they’re funny!

**Author's Note:**

> Here’s the rules:
> 
> 1\. No requests for slash in this universe, especially between established heterosexual characters: ie Kirk, Spock, McCoy, etc. If you give me a good idea for a Mirror universe slash, I just might do it, but it had better be a VERY good idea.
> 
> 2\. Your OC’s will be considered, but you need to send me a character with some very real details. Height, weight, species, general description and background.
> 
> 3\. Characters from the other series can be introduced, but, they need a plausible reason to be here. Saavik, T’Pol, Q, Archer, Porthos, Dax and others have been inserted into this universe by me with a way to be here. 
> 
> 4\. I’m not above hurting a character if it makes a good story, not just Kirk, although he seems to be the easiest to pick on! lol
> 
> 5\. No permanent deaths of major characters. This includes the ones listed in number 3.
> 
> 6\. This story will last only as long as I keep getting ideas!
> 
> 7\. Only species found in the Star Trek universe will be allowed. You can make one up, as long as you give me a good description. If you tell me, big ears and no hair, I’m going to think Ferengi, so be a little more specific than that.
> 
> If you’re interested in submitting an idea, either leave it in a review, or PM me. Starsinger out.


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